Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 6 December 2023 – bet365Group v EUIPO (bet365)

(Case T-764/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TJ0764_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Application for EU figurative mark bet365 – Absolute ground for refusal – Descriptive character – Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Assessment of the descriptive character of a sign – Criteria – Composite mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 12-14, 20, 33, 46, 67-69) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Concept – Mark consisting of a word or neologism produced by a combination of elements  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraph 29) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Figurative mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 36, 48, 63-66, 70) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Assessment of the registrability of a sign – EU rules only taken into account – Earlier registration of the mark in certain Member States or third countries – Decisions not binding EU bodies  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see paragraph 38) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Principle of equal treatment – Principle of sound administration – EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice – Principle of legality  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see paragraphs 51, 52) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Separate examination of the grounds for refusal in relation to each of the goods or services covered by the application for registration – Obligation to state the reasons for refusing to register – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 7(1) and 94(1), first sentence)  (see paragraph 60) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 19 September 2022 (Case R 622/2022-4) in so far as it concerns ‘printed matter and printed publications; magazines, manuals, newsletters, instructional and teaching material; calendars; tickets; printed cards’ in Class 16; ‘advertising; business management; business administration; office functions; on-line data processing services; economic forecasting; opinion polling; marketing research; modelling for advertising or sales promotion’ in Class 35; and ‘computer advisory, consultancy and design services, leasing, rental and hire of computer software, computer programming’ in Class 42; |

| 2. | Dismisses the action as to the remainder; |

| 3. | Orders each party to bear its own costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TJ0764_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 35, 30.1.2023](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2023:035:TOC).

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