Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 16 June 2021 –  
Health Product Group v EUIPO – Bioline Pharmaceutical (Enterosgel)

(Case T‑678/19)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – International registration designating the European Union – Figurative mark Enterosgel – No bad faith – Article 51(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal – Re-examination of the facts in the light of evidence not previously submitted before EUIPO bodies – Precluded  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)  (see para. 24) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration – Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign – Intention of the applicant – Degree of legal protection of the signs at issue – Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark – Chronology of events characterising the filing of the trade mark application  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(2) and 59(1)(b))  (see paras 31-36) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Figurative mark Enterosgel  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 51(1)(b))  (see paras 56, 73, 75, 80, 85) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Pleas in law not set out in the application – General reference to other documents – Inadmissibility  (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))  (see para. 63) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 51(1)(b))  (see para. 78) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Decisions of the Office – Legality – Examination by the EU judicature – Criteria  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001)  (see para. 87) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 8 August 2019 (Case R 482/2018-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between Health Product Group and Bioline Pharmaceutical.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Health Product Group sp. z o.o. to pay the costs. |

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