Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 23 March 2022 –  
Team Beverage v EUIPO (Beverage Analytics)

(Case T‑113/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0113_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Application for EU word mark Beverage Analytics – Absolute ground for refusal – No distinctive character – Descriptive character – Article 7(1)(b) and (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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 18) |

| 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 – Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign – Criteria  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 19-21) |

| 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 – Concept – Mark composed of a word or neologism resulting from a combination of elements  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 26) |

| 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 Beverage Analytics  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 30, 60-65) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Separate examination of the grounds for refusal in relation to each of the goods or services covered by the application for registration – Obligation to state the reasons for refusing to register – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 7(1) and 94(1), first sentence)  (see para. 43) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Principle of equal treatment – Principle of sound administration – EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice – Principle of legality – Need for a strict and complete examination in each particular case  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001)  (see paras 72-74) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 11 December 2020 (Case R 727/2020-5) in so far as it refuses registration of the word sign Beverage Analytics as an EU trade mark for ‘Website development software’ and ‘Computer operating programs, recorded’ in Class 9 of the Nice Agreement Concerning the International Classification of Goods and Services for the Purposes of the Registration of Marks of 15 June 1957, as revised and amended, and for the services of ‘Creating and maintaining web sites for others’, ‘Transfer of data or documents from physical to electronic data carriers’, ‘Monitoring of computer systems by remote access to ensure proper functioning’, ‘Web site design consultancy’, ‘Digitization of documents’, ‘Duplication of computer programs’, ‘Quality control’, ‘Recovery of computer data’ and ‘Testing and research relating to machines, apparatus and instruments’ in Class 42; |

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

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

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0113_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 128, 12.4.2021](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2021:128:TOC).

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