Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 23 October 2024 –  
ePlus v EUIPO – Telefónica Germany (E-Plus)

(Case T-462/23) (
[1](#t-ECR_62023TJ0462_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark E-Plus – Absolute ground for invalidity – No bad faith – Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 23-25) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account all relevant factors at the time of filing of the application for registration – Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign – Intention of the applicant – Origin and use of the contested sign – Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark – Chronology of events leading up to the filing of the trade mark application  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 26-27, 44) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Burden of proof  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 28, 29) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Word mark E-Plus  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 45, 46, 53, 54, 58) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU – Essential procedural requirement  (Art. 296 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)  (see paragraphs 62, 66) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders ePlus Inc. to pay the costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62023TJ0462_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 338, 25.9.2023](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2023:338:TOC).

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