Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 21 June 2017 —  
City Train v EUIPO (CityTrain)

(Case T‑699/15)

(EU trade mark — Application for EU figurative mark CityTrain — Procedural time limit — Unforeseeable circumstances — Absolute grounds for refusal — Descriptive character — Lack of distinctiveness — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

| 1. | Judicial proceedings — Time-limit for instituting proceedings — Claim barred by lapse of time — Unforeseeable circumstances or force majeure — Concept — Postal delay  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 45, second para.)  (see paras 12, 15) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Concept  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 24, 26) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign — Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 25) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Figurative mark CityTrain  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 28-31) |

| 5. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see para. 32) |

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 9 September 2015 (Case R 843/2015-4) concerning an application for registration of figurative sign CityTrain as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders City Train GmbH to pay the costs. |

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