Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 26 March 2020 –  
Tecnodidattica v EUIPO (Shape of bases for globes and lamps)

(Case T‑752/18)

(EU trade mark — Application for a three-dimensional EU trade mark — Shape of bases for globes and lamps — Absolute ground for refusal — Sign consisting exclusively of the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result — Article 7(1)(e)(ii) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(e)(ii) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — No decorative or imaginative elements playing an important or essential role)

| 1. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Signs which consist exclusively of the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result — Meaning — Interpretation in the light of the public interest underlying each of them  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(e)(ii))  (see paras 11, 12, 17) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Signs which consist exclusively of the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result –Meaning — Presence of non-essential characteristics with no technical function — Not relevant to the ground for refusal  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(e)(ii))  (see paras 13, 39) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Signs which consist exclusively of the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result — Meaning — Existence of other shapes allowing the same technical result to be obtained — Not relevant to the ground for refusal  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(e)(ii))  (see paras 14, 26, 31-33) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Signs which consist exclusively of the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result — Identification of the essential characteristics of a sign  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(e)(ii))  (see paras 15, 16) |

| 5. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Registration contrary to Article 7(1)(e)(ii) of Regulation No 207/2009 — Three-dimensional mark consisting of the shape of bases for globes and lamps  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7,(1)(e)(ii))  (see paras 23, 24, 27, 41-43, 45) |

| 6. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Signs which consist exclusively of the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result — Slavish copies of the product shape — Examination in the light of the rules relating to unfair competition  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(e)(ii))  (see para. 44) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 9 October 2018 (Case R 76/2017-2), concerning an application for registration of a three-dimensional sign consisting of the shape of bases for globes and lamps as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Tecnodidattica SpA to pay the costs. |

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