Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 December 2016 — Keil v EUIPO — NaturaFit Diätetische Lebensmittelproduktion (BasenCitrate)

(Case T‑330/15)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark BasenCitrate — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

| 1. | EU trade mark—Appeals procedure—Action before the EU judicature—Application initiating proceedings—Formal requirements—Pleas in law not set out in the application—General reference to other documents—Inadmissibility  (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))  (see para. 13) |

| 2. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service—Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 16-18, 20, 39) |

| 3. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service—Concept—Neologism consisting of elements descriptive of characteristics of the goods or services concerned—Whether included where the nature of the combination is not unusual  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 19) |

| 4. | EU trade mark—Surrender, revocation and invalidity—Absolute grounds for invalidity—Registration contrary to Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation No 207/2009—Word mark BasenCitrate  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 25, 26, 30, 31, 40-42) |

| 5. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Assessment of the registrability of a sign—EU rules only taken into account—Earlier registration of the mark in certain Member States or third countries—Decisions not binding EU bodies  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see para. 45) |

| 6. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Refusal of registration based on one of the absolute grounds for refusal set out in Article 7(1) of Regulation No 207/2009—Whether sufficient  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1))  (see para. 47) |

| 7. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Overlap between the scope of the grounds for refusal set out in subparagraphs (b) and (c) of Article 7(1) of Regulation No 207/2009  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1))  (see para. 48) |

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 15 April 2015 (Case R 1541/2014-1), relating to invalidity proceedings between NaturaFit Diätetische Lebensmittelproduktions GmbH and Mr Keil.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mr Rudolf Keil to pay the costs. |

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