Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 25 January 2018 — SilverTours v EUIPO (billiger-mietwagen.de)

(Case T‑866/16)

(EU trade mark — Application for the EU word mark billiger-mietwagen.de — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptiveness — Lack of distinctive 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—Procedural provisions—Examination of the facts of the Office’s own motion—Duty of diligence  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76(1))  (see paras 14, 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. 32) |

| 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—Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 33-36) |

| 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—Word mark billiger-mietwagen.de  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 37-39, 49, 50) |

| 5. | Judicial proceedings—Application initiating proceedings—Formal requirements—Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based—Similar requirements for submissions made in support of a plea  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para. and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))  (see para. 47) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 3 November 2016 (Case R 206/2016-5), concerning an application for registration of the word sign billiger-mietwagen.de as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders SilverTours GmbH to pay the costs. |

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