Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 20 March 2018 — Webgarden v EUIPO (Dating Bracelet)

(Case T‑272/17)

(EU trade mark — Application for EU figurative mark Dating Bracelet — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Previous EUIPO practice — Equal treatment — Legal certainty)

| 1. | Judicial proceedings—Application initiating proceedings—Formal requirements—Identification of the subject-matter of the dispute—Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))  (see para. 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—Aim—Need to preserve availability  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 24) |

| 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—Meaning  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 26, 27, 42) |

| 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—Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign—Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 28, 29, 60) |

| 5. | 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 Dating Bracelet  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 53, 61, 62, 73) |

| 6. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Overlapping of the scope of the grounds set out in Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation No 207/2009 (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b) and (c))  (see para. 64) |

| 7. | 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 70, 71, 74) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 1 March 2017 (Case R 658/2016-5), concerning an application for registration of the figurative sign Dating Bracelet as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Webgarden Szolgáltató és Kereskedelmi Kft. to pay the costs. |

[Top](#document1)