Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 5 October 2020 –  
nanoPET Pharma v EUIPO – Miltenyi Biotec (viscover)

(Case T‑264/19)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU figurative mark viscover – Absence of bad faith – Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 2017/1001) – Article 53(2)(c) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 60(2)(c) of Regulation 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal – Re-examination of the facts in the light of evidence not previously submitted before EUIPO bodies – Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see para. 19) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing 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 characterising the filing of the trade mark application – Origin of the sign at issue and its use since its creation  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paras 32-39) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Figurative mark viscover  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paras 64, 65, 72, 84, 94) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Invalidity action based on the existence of an earlier national right – Burden of proof  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 53(2)(c); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 37)  (see para. 93) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Examination of the application – Proof of use of the earlier mark – Probative value of the evidence – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 57(2) and (3))  (see para. 97) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 17 January 2019 (Case R 1288/2017-5), concerning invalidity proceedings between nanoPET Pharma and Miltenyi Biotec.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders nanoPET Pharma GmbH to pay the costs. |

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