Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 5 July 2017 —  
Allstate Insurance v EUIPO (DRIVEWISE)

(Case T‑3/16)

(EU trade mark — Application for registration of the EU word mark DRIVEWISE — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — No distinctive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) and 7(2) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009)

| 1. | 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 11-14, 28) |

| 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 — Word mark DRIVEWISE  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 18, 40, 43) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Overlap between the scope of the grounds for refusal set out in subparagraphs (b) and (c) of Article 7(1) of Regulation No 207/2009  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b) and (c))  (see paras 41, 42) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of sound administration — EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice — Principle of legality — Need for a strict and complete examination in each particular case  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see paras 45, 46) |

| 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see para. 49) |

| 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1), and 75, first sentence)  (see para. 52) |

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 8 October 2015 (Case R 956/2015-2), relating to an application for registration of the word sign DRIVEWISE as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Allstate Insurance Company to pay the costs. |

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