Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the Court (Eighth Chamber) of 16 January 2019 — Poland v Stock Polska sp. z o.o. and EUIPO

(Case C‑162/17 P) (
[1](#t-ECR_62017CJ0162_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(Appeal — EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Article 8(1) — Application for registration of the figurative mark including the word element LUBELSKA — Dominant and distinctive element)

| 1. | Appeal — Grounds — Incorrect assessment of the facts and evidence — Inadmissibility — Review by the Court of the assessment of the facts and evidence — Possible only where the clear sense of the evidence has been distorted  (Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.)  (see para. 36) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 41, 42) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Legality — EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice  (see paras 59, 60) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion — Scope — Obligation to prove matters within common knowledge — No such obligation — Dispute before the General Court — Review by the Court of Justice of the assessment by the General Court of whether matters were within common knowledge — Possible only where the clear sense of the evidence has been distorted  (Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76)  (see para. 69) |

| 5. | Appeal — Grounds — Incorrect assessment of the facts and evidence — Inadmissibility — Review by the Court of the assessment of the facts and evidence — Possible only where the clear sense of the evidence has been distorted — Plea alleging distortion of the facts — Need to indicate precisely the evidence alleged to have been distorted and show the errors of appraisal which led to that distortion  (Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the Court of Justice, Art. 168(1)(d))  (see paras 70, 71) |

| 6. | Appeal — Grounds — Inadequate statement of reasons — Reliance by the General Court on implied reasoning — Lawfulness — Conditions  (Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 36 and 53, first para.)  (see paras 78, 79) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the appeal; |

| 2. | Orders the Republic of Poland to pay the costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62017CJ0162_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 239, 24.7.2017](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2017:239:TOC).

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