Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 11 April 2019 —  
Adapta Color v EUIPO — Coatings Foreign IP (ADAPTA POWDER COATINGS)

(Case T‑223/17)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark ADAPTA POWDER COATINGS — Declaration of invalidity by the Board of Appeal — Absolute grounds for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — No distinctive character acquired through use — Article 7(3) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(3) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Infringement of the right to be heard — Obligation to state reasons — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 94 of Regulation 2017/1001) — Evidence submitted for the first time before the Court)

| 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 — Not included  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)  (see para. 14) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Decisions of EUIPO — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of sound administration — EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice — Principle of legality — Need for a strict and complete examination in each particular case  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see paras 21, 57, 58) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Legality of a decision issued by EUIPO’s Board of Appeal adjudicating in invalidity proceedings — Challenged by the submission of new facts — Not permissible — Account taken, for the purposes of interpreting EU law, of EU national or international case-law not cited before the EUIPO bodies — Lawfulness  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)  (see para. 22) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Decisions of EUIPO — Observance of the rights of the defence — Scope of the principle  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, second sentence)  (see paras 28, 32, 33) |

| 5. | EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — First sentence of Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 — Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU  (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence)  (see paras 38, 39) |

| 6. | Acts of the institutions — Statement of reasons — Obligation — Scope — Plea alleging absence or inadequacy of the statement of reasons — Plea alleging incorrectness of the statement of reasons — Distinction  (Art. 296 TFEU)  (see para. 40) |

| 7. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Separate examination of the grounds for refusal in relation to each of the goods or services covered by the application for registration — Obligation to state the reasons for refusal to register — Scope  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1) and Art. 75, first sentence)  (see paras 47-49) |

| 8. | 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 — Aim — Need to preserve availability  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 67) |

| 9. | 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, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paras 68, 69) |

| 10. | 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 para. 70) |

| 11. | 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 invalidity — Date of lodging the application for registration  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7 and Art. 52(1)(a))  (see para. 83) |

| 12. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Registration contrary to Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation No 207/2009 — Figurative mark ADAPTA POWDER COATINGS  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7(1)(c), and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 89, 90, 93-97, 100, 101) |

| 13. | 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, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 99) |

| 14. | 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. 102) |

| 15. | 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 — Exception — Distinctive character acquired through use — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b), and (c) and Art. 52(2))  (see para. 109) |

| 16. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any distinctive character — Exception — Distinctive character acquired through use — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(3))  (see paras 110-112) |

| 17. | 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 — Exception — Distinctive character acquired through use — Figurative mark ADAPTA POWDER COATINGS  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b), and (3), and Art. 52(2))  (see paras 118, 121-123, 125, 126) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 6 February 2017 (Case R 2522/2015-5), relating to invalidity proceedings between Coatings Foreign IP and Adapta Color.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Adapta Color, SL to pay the costs. |

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