Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 17 March 2021 –  
Tehrani v EUIPO – Blue Genes (Earnest Sewn)

(Case T‑853/19)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark Earnest Sewn – Declaration of invalidity – Absolute ground for refusal – Bad faith – Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paras 19-22) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration – Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign – Intention of the applicant – Degree of legal protection of the signs at issue – Origin and use of the sign in dispute – Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark – Chronology of events characterising the filing of the trade mark application  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paras 23-26, 31, 69) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Word mark Earnest Sewn  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paras 55, 61, 72) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 4 October 2019 (Case R 531/2018-5), relating to invalidity proceedings between Blue Genes and Mr Tehrani.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mr Reza Hossein Khan Tehrani to pay the costs. |

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