Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 24 April 2018 —  
Senetic v EUIPO — HP Hewlett Packard Group (HP)

(Case T‑208/17)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark HP — Absolute grounds for refusal — Article 52(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation 2017/1001) — No distinctive character — Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Bad faith — Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001))

| 1. | 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—Meaning  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(c) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 20-22) |

| 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—Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign—Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(c) and 52(1)(a))  (see para. 23) |

| 3. | EU trade mark—Surrender, revocation and invalidity—Absolute grounds for invalidity—Registration contrary to Article 7 of Regulation No 207/2009—Relevant date for the examination of an absolute ground for nullity—Date of lodging the application for registration  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7 and 52(1)(a))  (see para. 24) |

| 4. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Signs of which a trade mark may consist—Letters and numbers—Condition—Distinctive character  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 4 and 7(1)(b))  (see paras 29, 38) |

| 5. | EU trade mark—Surrender, revocation and invalidity—Absolute grounds for invalidity—Registration contrary to Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation No 207/2009—Word mark HP  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(b) and (c) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 32, 46) |

| 6. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks devoid of any distinctive character—Assessment of distinctive character—Criteria  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(b) and (3) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 39-42) |

| 7. | EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Absolute grounds for refusal—Marks devoid of any distinctive character—Finding of the lack of an unusual or striking feature of the sign insufficient to deny its distinctiveness  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(b) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 43, 44) |

| 8. | 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—Origin and use of the sign in dispute—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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paras 52-61) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 1 February 2017 (Case R 1002/2016-5) relating to invalidity proceedings between Senetic and HP Hewlett Packard Group.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Senetic S.A. to pay the costs. |

[Top](#document1)