Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 12 December 2019 –  
Refan Bulgaria v EUIPO (Shape of a flower)

(Case T‑747/18)

(EU trade mark — Application for a three-dimensional EU trade mark — Shape of a flower — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptiveness — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Rights of the defence — Obligation to state reasons)

| 1. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Decision on the appeal — Observance of the rights of the defence — Scope of the principle  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 70(2) and 94(1))  (see para 24, 25) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Examination of the grounds for refusal having regard to each of the products or services covered by the application for registration — Obligation to state the reasons for refusing to register — Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 7(1) and 94(1), first sentence)  (see paras 40-44) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications which may serve to designate the characteristics of goods — Three-dimensional mark — Shape of a flower  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 7(1)(c))  (see para. 67, 68, 72, 73) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Assessment of the registrability of a sign — EU rules only taken into account — Earlier registration of the mark in certain Member States or third countries — Decisions not binding EU bodies  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see para. 79) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 6 September 2018 (Case R 2518/2017-1), regarding an application for registration of a three-dimensional sign consisting of the shape of a flower as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Refan Bulgaria OOD to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). |

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