Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 15 March 2018 — SSP Europe v EUIPO (SECURE DATA SPACE)

(Case T‑205/17)

(EU trade mark — Application for EU figurative mark SECURE DATA SPACE — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

| 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—Aim—Need to preserve availability  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 11) |

| 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—Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 12-14, 24, 33) |

| 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—Word composed of elements describing characteristics of the goods or services concerned—Whether included where the nature of the combination is not unusual  (Council Regulation No o 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 18) |

| 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—Figurative mark SECURE DATA SPACE  (Council Regulation No o 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 27, 28, 33-36) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 27 January 2017 (Case R 2467/2015-5) concerning an application for registration of the figurative sign SECURE DATA SPACE as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders SSP Europe GmbH to pay the costs. |

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