Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 24 November 2021 –  
Włodarczyk v EUIPO – Ave Investment (dziandruk)

(Case T‑434/20)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU figurative mark dziandruk – Absolute ground for invalidity – Absence of 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 – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Re-evaluation of the facts in the light of evidence produced for the first time before it – Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see para. 14) |

| 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 – 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 26-28, 30-35, 49) |

| 3. | 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 para. 29) |

| 4. | Action for annulment – Subject matter – Decision based on several pillars of reasoning, each sufficient to justify the operative part – Annulment of such a decision – Conditions  (Art. 263 TFEU)  (see para. 38) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Figurative mark dziandruk  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paras 55, 56) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 8 May 2020 (Case R 2192/2019-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between Mr Włodarczyk and Ave Investment.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mr Piotr Włodarczyk to pay the costs. |

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