Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Single Judge) of 13 October 2021 –  
Schneider v EUIPO – Frutaria Comercial de Frutas y Hortalizas (Frutaria)

(Case T‑12/20)

(EU trade mark – Revocation proceedings – EU figurative trade mark Frutaria – Genuine use of the trade mark – Article 51(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 58(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Proof of genuine use – Nature of use)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Causes of revocation – Absence of genuine use of a trade mark – Proof of use – Genuine use – Concept – Criteria for assessment – Company name, commercial name or trade name  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 51(1)(a))  (see paras 41, 42) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Causes of revocation – Absence of genuine use of a trade mark – Use of the mark in a form differing by elements not altering the distinctive character of the mark – Subject matter and scope of Article 15(1)(a) of Regulation No 207/2009  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 15(1)(a))  (see paras 58, 59) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Causes of revocation – Absence of genuine use of a trade mark – Use of the mark in a form differing by elements not altering the distinctive character of the mark – Word mark Frutaria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 15(1)(a) and 51(1)(a))  (see paras 63-69) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Observations of third parties and opposition – Examination of the opposition – Proof of use of the mark – Partial use – Effect – Concept of ‘part of goods or services’ concerned by registration  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 51(2))  (see paras 77-80) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Observations of third parties and opposition – Examination of the opposition – Proof of use of the mark – Genuine use – Concept – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 51(1)(a))  (see paras 91, 92) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Observations of third parties and opposition – Examination of the opposition – Proof of use of the mark – Genuine use – Criteria for assessment – Requirement of solid and objective evidence  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 51(1)(a))  (see para. 94) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 8 October 2019 (Case R 284/2019-1), relating to revocation proceedings between M. Schneider and Frutaria Comercial de Frutas y Hortalizas.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Markus Schneider to pay the costs. |

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