Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 13 November 2024 –  
Butzkies-Schiemann v EUIPO – U.S. Corrosion Technologies (CorrosionX)

(Case T‑1127/23)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark CorrosionX – Absolute ground for invalidity – Bad faith – Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Admissibility of the response filed before the Board of Appeal – Article 24(1) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant acting in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 28-31) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant acting 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 – Degree of legal protection of the signs at issue – 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 32, 33, 54, 55, 58, 65) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant acting in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Burden of proof  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 34, 35) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant acting in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Word mark CorrosionX  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 47, 61, 70, 73, 75, 76, 78) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mr Sven Butzkies-Schiemann to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by U.S. Corrosion Technologies LLC; |

| 3. | Orders the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to bear its own costs. |

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