Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 31 January 2024 –  
Simpson Performance Products v EUIPO – Freundlieb (BANDIT)

(Case T‑173/23) (
[1](#t-ECR_62023TJ0173_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark BANDIT – Earlier non-registered word mark BANDIT – Relative ground for refusal – Article 8(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Article 2(2)(g) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625 – Identification of the goods and services on which the opposition is based)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade – Conditions  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(4))  (see paragraph 17) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Observations of third parties and opposition – Examination of the opposition – Notice of opposition – Identification of the goods and services forming the basis of the opposition – Obligation of EUIPO to invite the opponent to remedy deficiencies  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(4); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Arts 2(2)(g) and 5(5))  (see paragraphs 24-26) |

| 3. | EU 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 2017/1001, Art. 72(3))  (see paragraph 29) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 19 January 2023 (Case R 784/2022‑2); |

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

| 3. | Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Simpson Performance Products, Inc.; |

| 4. | Orders Andreas Freundlieb to bear his own costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62023TJ0173_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 179, 22.5.2023](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2023:179:TOC).

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