Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 17 January 2024 –  
Athlet v EUIPO – Heuver Banden Groothandel (ATHLET)

(Case T‑650/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TJ0650_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark ATHLET – Absolute ground for invalidity – Bad faith – Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 34-38) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account all relevant factors at the time of filing of the application for registration – Intention of the applicant – Origin of the disputed trade mark – Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark – Chronology of events leading up to the filing of the trade mark application  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 30-41, 76) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Burden of proof  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 42, 43, 77) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – Article 94(1), first sentence, 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 44, 45) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Word mark ATHLET  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 52-60, 80) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of the Cancellation Division of EUIPO – Examination by the Board of Appeal – Scope – Evidence submitted for the first time before the Board of Appeal – Account taken – Discretion of the Board of Appeal  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(2); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27(4))  (see paragraph 67) |

| 7. | EU trade mark – Proceedings before the adjudicating bodies of EUIPO – Obligation of EUIPO, including the Boards of Appeal, to adopt decisions within a reasonable time  (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(1); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see paragraphs 85-87) |

| 8. | EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Observance of the rights of the defence – Scope of the principle  (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1))  (see paragraphs 91, 97) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Athlet Ltd to bear its own costs and to pay Heuver Banden Groothandel BV’s costs; |

| 3. | Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TJ0650_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 35, 30.1.2023](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2023:035:TOC).

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