CELEX: 62018TA0013
Language: en
Date: 2019-09-24 00:00:00
Title: Case T-13/18: Judgment of the General Court of 24 September 2019 — Crédit mutuel Arkéa v EUIPO — Confédération nationale du Crédit mutuel (Crédit Mutuel) (EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark Crédit Mutuel — Absolute grounds for refusal — Descriptive character — No distinctive character — Distinctive character acquired through use — Cross-claim — Article 7(1)(b) and (c), and Article 7(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Article 59(1)(a) and Article 59(2) of Regulation 2017/1001)

9.12.2019   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 413/45
            
         
      Judgment of the General Court of 24 September 2019 — Crédit mutuel Arkéa v EUIPO — Confédération nationale du Crédit mutuel (Crédit Mutuel)
      (Case T-13/18) (1)
      
      (EU trade mark - Invalidity proceedings - EU word mark Crédit Mutuel - Absolute grounds for refusal - Descriptive character - No distinctive character - Distinctive character acquired through use - Cross-claim - Article 7(1)(b) and (c), and Article 7(3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 - Article 59(1)(a) and Article 59(2) of Regulation 2017/1001)
      (2019/C 413/53)
      Language of the case: French
      
         Parties
      
      
         Applicant: Crédit Mutuel Arkéa (Le Relecq Kerhuon, France) (represented by: A. Casalonga, L. Codevelle and C. Bercial Arias, lawyers)
      
         Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: D. Hanf, acting as Agent)
      
         Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Confédération nationale du Crédit mutuel (Paris, France) (represented by: B. Moreau-Margotin and M. Merli, lawyers)
      
         Re:
      
      Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 8 November 2017 (Case R 1724/2016-5), relating to invalidity proceedings between Crédit Mutuel Arkéa and Confédération nationale du Crédit mutuel.
      
         Operative part of the judgment
      
      The Court:
      
                  1.
               
               
                  
                     Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 8 November 2017 (Case R 1724/2016-5) in so far as it concludes that the contested mark acquired distinctive character through use for the goods and services for which it was descriptive and non-distinctive;
                  
               
            
                  2.
               
               
                  
                     Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
                  
               
            
                  3.
               
               
                  
                     Dismisses the cross-claim;
                  
               
            
                  4.
               
               
                  
                     Orders Crédit Mutuel Arkéa to bear a third of its own costs and to pay a third of the costs incurred by EUIPO and Confédération nationale du Crédit mutuel in the main action;
                  
               
            
                  5.
               
               
                  
                     Orders EUIPO to pay two thirds of its own costs and two thirds of the costs incurred by the applicant in the main action;
                  
               
            
                  6.
               
               
                  
                     Orders Confédération nationale du Crédit mutuel to bear two thirds of its own costs incurred in the main action and the costs incurred in the cross-claim.
                  
               
            
         (1)  OJ C 94, 12.3.2018.