Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 7 December 2022 –  
Borussia VfL 1900 Mönchengladbach v EUIPO – Neng (Fohlenelf)

(Case T‑747/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0747_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Revocation proceedings – EU word mark Fohlenelf – Genuine use of the mark – Article 58(1)(a), Article 94(1) and Article 97(1)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Persons entitled to appeal and to be parties to the proceedings – Persons concerned by a decision adversely affecting them – Decision recognising genuine use of the contested mark for some of the goods – Request for annulment of that decision for those goods – No interest in bringing proceedings – Inadmissibility  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(4))  (see paragraphs 13-15) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Proof of use – Genuine use – Concept – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 58(1)(a) and 97(1)(f); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Arts 10(3) and (4), and 19(1))  (see paragraphs 30-34, 41) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Word mark Fohlenelf  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 58(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 39, 40, 45, 51, 53, 55, 58, 62, 63) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Use of the mark in a form differing in elements which do not alter the distinctive character of the mark – Subject matter and scope of Article 18(1)(a) of Regulation 2017/1001  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1), second subpara., (a), and 58(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 79, 80) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Proof of use – Partial use – Effect – Concept of ‘some of the goods or services covered by the registration’  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1), and 58(1)(a) and (2))  (see paragraphs 36, 98, 99) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 28 September 2021 (Case R 2126/2020-4) in so far as proof of genuine use of EU word mark Fohlenelf was rejected in relation to ‘soaps’ in Class 3, ‘self-adhesive films of paper or plastic, self-adhesive labels’ in Class 16, ‘porcelain and earthenware’ in Class 21, as well as in relation to ‘drinking bottles’, in so far as they constitute a subcategory of goods within ‘household or kitchen containers’ also in Class 21, ‘bath towels of textile’ in Class 24 and ‘games, toys’ in Class 28; |

| 2. | Dismisses the action as to the remainder; |

| 3. | Orders each party to bear its own costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0747_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 37, 24.1.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:037:TOC).

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