Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 13 September 2023 –  
mataharispaclub v EUIPO – Rouha (SpaClubMatahari)

(Case T‑552/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TJ0552_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark SpaClubMatahari – Absolute ground for invalidity – No bad faith – Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Inadmissibility – Article 177(1)(d) of the Rules of Procedure of the General Court)

| 1. | Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Clear and precise statement of the pleas relied on  (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 paragraph 12) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based – Repetition, wholly or in part, of the arguments already relied on before EUIPO – Whether permissible  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see paragraph 24) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 31, 32) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant 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 – 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 33, 34, 45, 48) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Burden of proof  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraph 35) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Word mark SpaClubMatahari  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 42, 44, 49-53) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders each party to bear its own costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TJ0552_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 408, 24.10.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:408:TOC).

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