Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 16 June 2021 –  
Magnetec v EUIPO (CoolTUBE)

(Case T‑481/20)

(EU trade mark – Application for the EU word mark CoolTUBE – Absolute ground for refusal – Distinctive character – Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Limitation of the list of products and services after the decision of the Board of Appeal – Consequences  (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 188; Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council 2017/1001, Art. 49(1))  (see paras 11, 12) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Concept – Criteria for assessment – Recognition of the distinctive character of the sign not subject to a finding of a specific level of linguistic or artistic creativity or imaginativeness  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b))  (see paras 17, 27, 28, 30) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Separate examination of the various grounds for refusal – Interpretation of the grounds for refusal in the light of the public interest underlying each of them  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1))  (see para. 26) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Trade mark made up of several elements – Possible for the competent authority to examine each of the elements making up the trade mark – Need to take account of the overall perception of the combination by the relevant public  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b))  (see para. 29) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Word mark CoolTUBE  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b))  (see paras 36-41) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 15 May 2020 (Case R 1755/2019-1), concerning an application for registration of the word sign CoolTUBE as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 15 May 2020 (Case R 1755/2019-1); |

| 2. | Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Magnetec – Gesellschaft für Magnettechnologie mbH, including the costs necessarily incurred for the purposes of the appeal proceedings before the Board of Appeal. |

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