Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 February 2023 –  
Bambu Sales v EUIPO (BAMBU)

(Case T‑82/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TJ0082_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Application for European Union word mark BAMBU – Absolute grounds for refusal – 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 – Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign – Criteria  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c), and (2))  (see paragraphs 12-15, 17-19, 24) |

| 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 – Aim – Need to preserve availability  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraph 16) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Refusal of registration based on one of the absolute grounds for refusal set out in Article 7(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Whether sufficient  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1))  (see paragraph 36) |

| 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 BAMBU  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 33, 37-41) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 16 December 2021 (Case R 1702/2020-1) in so far as it concerns the following goods: vaporisers for the ingestion and inhalation of tobacco and other herbal matter; electronic smoking vaporisers, namely electronic cigarettes, and electronic smoking vaporisers for use as an alternative to traditional cigarettes; smoker’s vaporiser pipe cartridge sold empty; cigar cutters; electric cigarettes; electric cigars; electronic cigarettes; electronic cigarette refill cartridges sold empty; electronic cigars; hookah parts, namely hoses; liquefied gas cylinders for cigarette lighters; smoker’s articles, namely metal pocket-sized receptacles with lids for cigarette butts; smoking pipe cleaners; tobacco pipe cleaners; |

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

| 3. | Orders Bambu Sales, Inc. and EUIPO to bear their own costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TJ0082_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 148, 4.4.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:148:TOC).

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