Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 18 May 2017 —  
Reisswolf v EUIPO (secret.service.)

(Case T‑163/16)

(EU trade mark — Application for EU word mark secret.service. — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Examination of the facts by EUIPO of its own motion — Article 76 of Regulation No 207/2009 — Duty to state reasons — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009)

| 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 18, 19) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — Article 75, first sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009 — Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU  (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence)  (see para. 28) |

| 3. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1), and 75, first sentence)  (see paras 29, 30) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any distinctive character — Word mark secret.service.  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 47, 48, 81, 85) |

| 5. | 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. 54) |

| 6. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 55-57, 64, 72, 75) |

| 7. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 62) |

| 8. | EU trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Legality — Examination by the EU judicature — Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see para. 78) |

| 9. | EU trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of sound administration — EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see paras 79, 80) |

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 8 February 2016 (Case R 1820/2015-4) concerning an application for registration of the word sign secret.service. as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Reisswolf Akten- und Datenvernichtung GmbH & Co. KG to pay the costs. |

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