Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 13 May 2020 –  
Peek & Cloppenburg v EUIPO — Peek & Cloppenburg (Peek & Cloppenburg)

(Case T‑444/18)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity and revocation proceedings — EU word mark Peek & Cloppenburg — Earlier national commercial designation Peek & Cloppenburg — Relative ground for refusal — Article 8(4) and Article 60(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Coexistence of the national commercial designation and the EU trade mark — Demarcation agreement — Application of national law by EUIPO — Suspension of the administrative proceedings — Article 70 of Regulation 2017/1001 — Rule 20(7)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 2868/95 (now Article 71(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625) — Manifest error of assessment)

| 1. | Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Pleas in law not set out in the application — General reference to other documents — Inadmissibility  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para. and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))  (see paras 26, 27) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal — Re-examination of the facts in the light of evidence not previously submitted before EUIPO bodies — Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see para. 36) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Non-registered mark or another sign used in the course of trade — Conditions — Interpretation in the light of EU law — Assessment by reference to the criteria determined by the national law governing the sign relied on  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(4) and 60(1)(c))  (see paras 51-53) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Use of the mark capable of being prohibited by virtue of another earlier right — Review by the competent bodies of EUIPO and by the Court as to the national law applicable — Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(4) and 72(1) and (2))  (see paras 66, 76-79) |

| 5. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Sign giving its holder the right to prohibit the use of a more recent trade mark — Burden of proof  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(4)(b))  (see paras 68, 80) |

| 6. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Invalidity action based on the existence of an earlier national right — Burden of proof  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(4) and 60(1)(c); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, rule 37)  (see paras 75, 82, 83) |

| 7. | EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Examination of the facts of the EUIPO’s own motion — Opposition proceedings — Examination restricted to the facts, evidence and arguments provided — Assessment by the Office of the correctness of the facts pleaded and the probative value of evidence submitted — Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95)  (see para. 81) |

| 8. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Non-registered mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Word mark and commercial designation Peek & Cloppenburg  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(4) and 60(1)(c))  (see paras 85-92, 95, 99, 102) |

| 9. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Appeals before the Boards of Appeal — Stay of proceedings — Conditions  (Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, rules 20(7)(c) and 50(1); Commission Regulation No 216/96, Art. 8)  (see paras 112, 113, 116-118) |

| 10. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Appeals before the Boards of Appeal — Stay of proceedings — Discretion of the Board of Appeal — Prima facie examination of the chances of success of a counterclaim for the declaration of a right — Scope  (Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, rules 20(7)(c) and 50(1))  (see paras 120, 122-125, 127) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 20 April 2018 (Case R 522/2006-1), relating to invalidity and revocation proceedings between Peek & Cloppenburg (Hamburg) and Peek & Cloppenburg (Düsseldorf).

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Peek & Cloppenburg KG (Düsseldorf) to pay the costs. |

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