Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 7 June 2023 –  
Aprile and Commerciale Italiana v EUIPO – DC Comics (Representation of a bat in an oval surround)

(Case T‑735/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0735_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – Figurative EU trade mark representing a bat in an oval surround – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Distinctive character – No descriptive character – Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Restriction of the goods covered by the application for a declaration of invalidity – Obligation to state reasons)

| 1. | 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 – Recourse by the Board of Appeal to implicit reasoning – Whether permissible – Conditions  (Art. 296, second para., TFEU; Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)  (see paragraphs 19, 20) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Concept – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 7(1)(b), and 51(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 28, 29) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks devoid of distinctive character – Figurative mark representing a bat in an oval surround  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 7(1)(b), and 51(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 31-33, 42-45) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Relevant date for the examination of an application for a declaration of invalidity – Date on which the application for registration of the contested mark was filed  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 7(1) and 51(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 35, 36) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Probative value of the evidence – Articles from an encyclopaedia established on the internet  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001)  (see paragraph 38) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Assessment of the descriptive character of a sign – Criteria  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 7(1)(c), and 51(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 49-51) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mr Luigi Aprile and Commerciale Italiana Srl to pay the costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0735_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 37, 24.1.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:037:TOC).

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