Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 24 April 2018 –  
Menta y Limón Decoración v EUIPO — Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de La Palma (Representation of a man in regional costume)

(Case T‑183/17)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark representing a man in regional costume — Earlier national industrial designs — Relative ground for refusal — Article 53(2)(d) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 60(2)(d) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Use of the EU trade mark prohibited under national law — Application of national law by EUIPO)

| 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—Declaratory judgments—Not included  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65(2) and (3))  (see para. 15) |

| 2. | 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); European Parliament and Council Directive 98/71, Art. 12)  (see para. 22) |

| 3. | EU trade mark—Surrender, revocation and invalidity—Relative grounds for invalidity—Use of the mark capable of being prohibited by virtue of another earlier right—Intellectual property right—Figurative mark representing a man in a regional costume—Earlier national industrial designs  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 53(2)(d))  (see paras 34, 35, 43, 49, 54-56) |

| 4. | EU trade mark—Surrender, revocation and invalidity—Relative grounds for invalidity—Use of the mark capable of being prohibited by virtue of another earlier right—Review by the competent bodies of EUIPO and by the Court as to the national law applicable—Scope  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 53(2)(d); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 37)  (see paras 37-42) |

| 5. | Judicial proceedings—Application initiating proceedings—Formal requirements—Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based—Similar requirements for submissions made in support of a plea  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))  (see para. 46) |

| 6. | EU trade mark—Appeals procedure—Action before the EU judicature—Modification of the terms of the dispute as brought before the Board of Appeal—Not permissible  (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 188; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)  (see para. 47) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 9 January 2017 (Case R 510/2015-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between Menta y Limón Decoración and Ayuntamiento de Santa Cruz de La Palma.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Menta y Limón Decoración, SL to pay the costs. |

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