Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 21 December 2022 –  
Trend Glass v EUIPO (ECO STORAGE)

(Case T‑777/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0777_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Application for EU figurative mark ECO STORAGE – Absolute grounds for refusal – Descriptive character – Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Lack of distinctive character – Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Obligation to state reasons – Legal certainty – Equal treatment)

| 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 – Concept  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 12-14, 16) |

| 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 15, 61) |

| 3. | 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 – Concept of characteristic  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 17, 18) |

| 4. | 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 – Figurative mark ECO STORAGE  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see paragraphs 47, 49-54, 57, 63) |

| 5. | 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 stringent and full examination in each individual case  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see paragraphs 73, 74) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Duty of diligence  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(1))  (see paragraph 75) |

| 7. | 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 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)  (see paragraphs 79, 80) |

| 8. | 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 2017/1001 – Whether sufficient  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1))  (see paragraph 88) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Trend Glass sp. z o.o. to pay the costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0777_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 51, 31.1.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:051:TOC).

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