Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 28 April 2021 –  
repowermap.org v EUIPO – Repower (REPOWER)

(Case T‑872/16)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – International registration designating the European Union – Word mark REPOWER – Absolute ground for invalidity – Descriptive character – No distinctive 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) – Obligation to state reasons – Right to be heard – Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 94 of Regulation 2017/1001) – Freedom of expression)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Concept  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(c) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 36, 38-40, 44, 45) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – 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, Arts 7(1)(c) and 52(1)(a))  (see para. 37) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Word mark REPOWER  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 46, 50, 58, 65, 70, 77, 83, 88, 93, 94, 107) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 26 September 2016 (Case R 2311/2014-5) relating to invalidity proceedings between repowermap.org and Repower.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Alters the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 26 September 2016 (Case R 2311/2014-5) in such a way as to cancel the contested mark with respect to the following services:   | – | Class 37: ‘Services of heating engineers’; |  | – | Class 42: ‘Scientific services and research and development relating thereto; industrial research and analyses’; | |

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

| 3. | Orders repowermap.org to pay, in addition to its own costs, those incurred by EUIPO and Repower AG. |

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