Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Order of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 23 August 2023 –  
Nienaber v EUIPO – St. Hippolyt Mühle Ebert (BoneKare)

(Case T‑609/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TO0609_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark BoneKare – Absolute ground for invalidity – Descriptive character – Article 7(1)(c) and Article 52(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(c) and Article 59(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Article 95(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Concept  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 26-29) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Marks consisting exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of a product or service – Word mark BoneKare  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 34-38, 46, 47) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice – Principle of legality – Need for a stringent and full examination in each individual case  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see paragraph 44) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Descriptive character of a sign – Circumstance necessarily implying absence of distinctive character of the sign  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b) and (c))  (see paragraph 52) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Invalidity proceedings concerning absolute grounds for refusal – Examination restricted to the facts, evidence and arguments provided – Well-known facts taken into account  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 7, 59, 62 and 95(1))  (see paragraphs 57-59) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Registration contrary to Article 7 – Relevant date for the examination of an absolute ground for invalidity – Date of filing of the application for registration  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 7 and 52(1)(a))  (see paragraph 66) |

Operative part

| 1. | The action is dismissed. |

| 2. | Mr Andreas Nienaber shall bear his own costs and pay those incurred by St. Hippolyt Mühle Ebert GmbH. |

| 3. | The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) shall bear its own costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TO0609_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 441, 21.11.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:441:TOC).

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