Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 12 April 2016 —

Choice v EUIPO (Choice chocolate & ice cream)

(Case T‑361/15)

‛EU trade mark — Application for the European Union figurative mark Choice chocolate & ice cream — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive Character — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009’

| 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 — Aim — Need to preserve availability (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see para. 13) |

| 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 — Concept (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 14, 15) |

| 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 — Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign — Criteria (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 16, 25, 29) |

| 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 Choice chocolate & ice cream (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 18, 22, 26, 28, 30) |

| 5. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Refusal to register based on one of the absolute grounds for refusal set out in Article 7(1) of Regulation No 207/2009 — Whether sufficient (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)) (see para. 33) |

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 30 April 2015 (Case R 2221/2014-5), concerning an application for registration of the figurative sign Choice chocolate & ice cream as a European Union trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Choice sp. z o.o. to pay the costs. |

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