Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 23 September 2020 –  
Polfarmex v EUIPO – Kaminski (SYRENA)

(Case T‑677/19)

(EU trade mark – Revocation proceedings – EU word mark SYRENA – Genuine use of the mark – Extent of use – Proof of use – Articles 18(1) and 58(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Duty to state reasons – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001)

| 1. | European Union trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Direction issued to the Office – Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001, Art. 72(6))  (see para. 15) |

| 2. | European Union trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Causes of revocation – Absence of genuine use of a mark – Proof of use – Genuine use – Meaning – Criteria for assessment – Requirement of solid and objective evidence  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1) and 58(1)(a))  (see paras 38-47, 52, 72, 98) |

| 3. | European Union trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Causes of revocation – No genuine use of a trade mark – Word mark SYRENA  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1) and 58(1)(a))  (see paras 70, 73, 90, 104, 105, 129) |

| 4. | Action for annulment – Pleas in law – Infringement of essential procedural requirements – Reasons inadequately stated – Examination by the judicature of its own motion  (Art. 263 TFEU)  (see para. 84) |

| 5. | European Union trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 58(1) and 94(1), first sentence)  (see para. 85) |

| 6. | European Union 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see para. 87) |

| 7. | European Union trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Causes of revocation – No genuine use of a trade mark – Proof of use – Partial use – Effect – Concept of ‘part of the goods or services’ covered by the registration  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001, Art. 58(2))  (see paras 112-116) |

| 8. | European Union 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 – Account taken by the General Court of matters of law and fact not previously raised before the departments of EUIPO – Precluded  (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 188; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 72(2) and 95)  (see para. 120) |

| 9. | European Union trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Power of the General Court to alter the contested decision – Limits  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001, Art. 72(3))  (see para. 131) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 11 July 2019 (Joined Cases R 1861/2018-2 and R 1840/2018-2), relating to revocation proceedings between Polfarmex and Mr Kaminski.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 11 July 2019 (Joined Cases R 1861/2018-2 and R 1840/2018-2) to the extent that it upheld the registration of the European Union trade mark No 9262767 in respect of ‘cars’ in Class 12 other than ‘racing cars’; |

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

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

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