Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

[**Avis juridique important**](../../../editorial/legal_notice.htm)

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# 61975J0051

**Judgment of the Court of 15 June 1976. - EMI Records Limited v CBS United Kingdom Limited. - Reference for a preliminary ruling: High Court of Justice, Chancery Division - United Kingdom. - Case 51-75.** 
  
*European Court reports 1976 Page 00811  
 Greek special edition Page 00329  
 Portuguese special edition Page 00357  
 Spanish special edition Page 00327  
 Swedish special edition Page 00115  
 Finnish special edition Page 00123*

  

[Summary](#SM)  
[Parties](#I1)  
[Subject of the case](#I2)  
[Grounds](#MO)  
[Decision on costs](#CO)  
[Operative part](#DI)

## Keywords

  
*1 . INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY - PROTECTION - TRADE-MARK RIGHT - EXERCISE - PROPRIETOR OF A MARK IN ALL THE MEMBER STATES OF THE COMMUNITY - SIMILAR PRODUCTS BEARING THE SAME MARK AND COMING FROM A THIRD COUNTRY - IMPORTATION INTO THE COMMON MARKET AND MARKETING THEREIN - PREVENTION - CONFORMITY WITH THE PROVISIONS OF THE TREATY

( EEC TREATY , ARTICLE 9 ( 2 ), ARTICLE 10 ( 1 ), ARTICLE 36 AND ARTICLE 110 )

2 . COMPETITION - RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS - TRADE-MARK RIGHT - EXERCISE - PROHIBITION

( EEC TREATY , ARTICLE 85 ( 1 ))

3 . COMPETITION - RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS - TRADERS WITHIN THE COMMON MARKET AND IN THIRD COUNTRIES - TRADE-MARK RIGHT - EXERCISE - PRODUCTS ORIGINATING IN THIRD COUNTRIES SIMILAR TO THOSE PROTECTED BY A MARK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY - OFFER - REDUCTION - PROHIBITION

( EEC TREATY , ARTICLE 85 ( 1 ))

4 . COMPETITION - RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENTS - TERMINATION OF VALIDITY - SUBSEQUENT EFFECTS - PROHIBITION - APPLICATION - LIMITS - NATIONAL TRADE-MARK RIGHTS - EXERCISE

( EEC TREATY , ARTICLE 85 ( 1 ))

5 . COMPETITION - DOMINANT POSITION ON THE MARKET - TRADE-MARK RIGHT - EXERCISE - SIMILAR PRODUCTS COMING FROM A THIRD COUNTRY UNDER THE SAME MARK - DISTRIBUTION WITHIN THE COMMON MARKET - PREVENTION - ABUSE OF A DOMINANT POSITION - ABSENCE

( EEC TREATY , ARTICLE 86 )

6 . INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY - PROTECTION - TRADE-MARK RIGHT - EXERCISE - PROPRIETOR OF A MARK IN THE MEMBER STATES - POWER TO PREVENT THE EXERCISE BY A THIRD PARTY OF THE SAME TRADE-MARK OWNED IN A THIRD COUNTRY - OBLITERATION OF THE MARK ON THE PRODUCTS CONCERNED FOR THE PURPOSES OF EXPORTS TO THE COMMUNITY - AFFIXING OF A DIFFERENT MARK - PERMISSIBLE CONSEQUENCES*

## Summary

  
*1 . NEITHER THE RULES OF THE TREATY ON THE FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS NOR THOSE ON THE PUTTING INTO FREE CIRCULATION OF PRODUCTS COMING FROM THIRD COUNTRIES NOR , FINALLY , THE PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE COMMON COMMERCIAL POLICY , PROHIBIT THE PROPRIETOR OF A MARK IN ALL THE MEMBER STATES OF THE COMMUNITY FROM EXERCISING HIS RIGHT IN ORDER TO PREVENT THE IMPORTATION OF SIMILAR PRODUCTS BEARING THE SAME MARK AND COMING FROM A THIRD COUNTRY .

NOR MAY THE PROVISIONS OF THE TREATY ON THE FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS BE INVOKED FOR THE PURPOSE OF PROHIBITING THE PROPRIETOR OF THE MARK IN THE TERRITORIES OF THE MEMBER STATES FROM EXERCISING HIS RIGHT IN ORDER TO PREVENT ANOTHER PROPRIETOR OF THE SAME MARK IN A THIRD COUNTRY FROM MANUFACTURING AND MARKETING HIS PRODUCTS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY , EITHER HIMSELF OR THROUGH HIS SUBSIDIARIES ESTABLISHED IN THE COMMUNITY .

2 . A TRADE-MARK RIGHT , AS A LEGAL ENTITY , DOES NOT POSSESS THOSE ELEMENTS OF CONTRACT OR CONCERTED PRACTICE REFERRED TO IN ARTICLE 85 ( 1 ).

NEVERTHELESS THE EXERCISE OF THAT RIGHT MIGHT FALL WITHIN THE AMBIT OF THE TREATY IF IT WERE TO MANIFEST ITSELF AS THE SUBJECT , THE MEANS , OR THE CONSEQUENCE OF A RESTRICTIVE PRACTICE .

3 . A RESTRICTIVE AGREEMENT BETWEEN TRADERS WITHIN THE COMMON MARKET AND COMPETITORS IN THIRD COUNTRIES THAT WOULD BRING ABOUT AN ISOLATION OF THE COMMON MARKET AS A WHOLE WHICH , IN THE TERRITORY OF THE COMMUNITY , WOULD REDUCE THE SUPPLY OF PRODUCTS ORIGINATING IN THIRD COUNTRIES AND SIMILAR TO THOSE PROTECTED BY A MARK WITHIN THE COMMUNITY , MIGHT BE OF SUCH A NATURE AS TO AFFECT ADVERSELY THE CONDITIONS OF COMPETITION WITHIN THE COMMON MARKET . IN PARTICULAR IF THE PROPRIETOR OF THE MARK IN DISPUTE IN THE THIRD COUNTRY HAS WITHIN THE COMMUNITY VARIOUS SUBSIDIARIES ESTABLISHED IN DIFFERENT MEMBER STATES WHICH ARE IN A POSITION TO MARKET THE PRODUCTS AT ISSUE WITHIN THE COMMON MARKET SUCH ISOLATION MAY AFFECT TRADE BETWEEN MEMBER STATES .

4 . FOR ARTICLE 85 TO APPLY TO CASES OF AGREEMENTS WHICH ARE NO LONGER IN FORCE IT IS SUFFICIENT THAT SUCH AGREEMENTS CONTINUE TO PRODUCE THEIR EFFECTS AFTER THEY HAVE FORMALLY CEASED TO BE IN FORCE .

AN AGREEMENT IS ONLY REGARDED AS CONTINUING TO PRODUCE ITS EFFECTS IF FROM THE BEHAVIOUR OF THE PERSONS CONCERNED THERE MAY BE INFERRED THE EXISTENCE OF ELEMENTS OF CONCERTED PRACTICE AND OF COORDINATION PECULIAR TO THE AGREEMENT AND PRODUCING THE SAME RESULT AS THAT ENVISAGED BY THE AGREEMENT .

THIS IS NOT SO WHEN THE SAID EFFECTS DO NOT EXCEED THOSE FLOWING FROM THE MERE EXERCISE OF THE NATIONAL TRADE-MARK RIGHTS . AND IN PARTICULAR WHEN A FOREIGN TRADER CAN OBTAIN ACCESS TO THE COMMON MARKET WITHOUT AVAILING HIMSELF OF THE MARK IN DISPUTE .

5 . ALTHOUGH THE TRADE-MARK RIGHT CONFERS UPON ITS PROPRIETOR A SPECIAL POSITION WITHIN THE PROTECTED TERRITORY THIS , HOWEVER , DOES NOT IMPLY THE EXISTENCE OF A DOMINANT POSITION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 86 IN PARTICULAR WHERE SEVERAL UNDERTAKINGS WHOSE ECONOMIC STRENGTH IS COMPARABLE TO THAT OF A PROPRIETOR OF THE MARK OPERATE IN THE MARKET FOR THE PRODUCTS IN QUESTION AND ARE IN A POSITION TO COMPETE WITH THE SAID PROPRIETOR .

FURTHERMORE , IN SO FAR AS THE EXERCISE OF A TRADE-MARK RIGHT IS INTENDED TO PREVENT THE IMPORTATION INTO THE PROTECTED TERRITORY OF PRODUCTS BEARING AN IDENTICAL MARK , IT DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ABUSE OF A DOMINANT POSITION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 86 OF THE TREATY .

6 . IN SO FAR AS THE PROPRIETOR OF A MARK IN THE MEMBER STATES OF THE COMMUNITY MAY PREVENT THE SALE OR THE MANUFACTURE BY A THIRD PARTY WITHIN THE COMMUNITY OF PRODUCTS BEARING THE SAME MARK HELD IN A THIRD812

EMI RECORDS V CBS UNITED KINGDOM

COUNTRY , THE REQUIREMENT THAT SUCH THIRD PARTY MUST , FOR THE PURPOSE OF HIS EXPORTS TO THE COMMUNITY , OBLITERATE THE MARK ON THE PRODUCTS CONCERNED AND PERHAPS APPLY A DIFFERENT MARK FORMS PART OF THE PERMISSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF THE PROTECTION WHICH THE NATIONAL LAWS OF EACH MEMBER STATE AFFORD TO THE PROPRIETOR OF THE MARK AGAINST THE IMPORTATION OF PRODUCTS FROM THIRD COUNTRIES BEARING A SIMILAR OR IDENTICAL MARK .*

## Parties

  
*IN CASE 51/75

REFERENCE TO THE COURT UNDER ARTICLE 177 OF THE EEC TREATY BY THE HIGH COURT OF JUSTICE , LONDON , FOR A PRELIMINARY RULING IN THE ACTION PENDING BEFORE THAT COURT BETWEEN

EMI RECORDS LIMITED , MIDDLESEX ,

AND

CBS UNITED KINGDOM LIMITED , LONDON ,*

## Subject of the case

  
*ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE PROVISIONS OF THE TREATY ON THE FREE MOVEMENT OF GOODS AND ON THE RULES ON COMPETITION IN THE MATTER OF THE LAW ON TRADE-MARKS ,*

## Grounds

[Top](#document1)