Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 5 February 2025 –  
ExactCut v EUIPO (exactcut)

(Case T‑280/24)

(EU trade mark – Application for the EU figurative mark exactcut – Absolute grounds for refusal – No distinctive character – Descriptive character – Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Meaning – Mark consisting of a word or neologism produced by a combination of elements  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 13, 21) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Assessment of the descriptive character of a sign – Criteria  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 14, 25) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Figurative mark exactcut  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 26-28) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Overlapping of the scope of the grounds set out under (b) and (c) of Article 7(1) of Regulation 2017/1001  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(b) and (c))  (see paragraph 29) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Decisions of the Office – Legality – Examination by the EU judicature – Criteria  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see paragraphs 32, 45) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU – Recourse by the Board of Appeal to implicit reasoning – Whether permissible – Conditions  (Art. 296, second para., TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94)  (see paragraphs 36, 37) |

| 7. | EU trade mark – Decisions of the Office – Principle of equal treatment – Principle of sound administration – The Office’s previous decision-making practice – Principle of legality – Need for a stringent and full examination in each individual case  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see paragraph 43) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

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

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