CELEX: C2002/169/08
Language: en
Date: 2002-07-13 00:00:00
Title: Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) 30 May 2002 in Case C-516/99 (Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Berufungssenat V der Finanzlandesdirektion für Wien, Niederösterreich und Burgenland): Walter Schmid (Concept of "court or tribunal of a Member State" within the meaning of Article 234 EC — Lack of jurisdiction of the Court of Justice)

C 169/6                 EN                       Official Journal of the European Communities                                            13.7.2002
                 JUDGMENT OF THE COURT                                      preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending before that
                                                                            court between Michael Hölterhoff and Ulrich Freiesleben on
                          (Fifth Chamber)                                   the interpretation of Article 5(1)(a) and (b) of First Council
                                                                            Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate
                            30 May 2002                                     the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks (OJ 1989
                                                                            L 40, p. 1), the Court, composed of: P. Jann, President of the
in Case C-516/99 (Reference for a preliminary ruling from                   Fifth Chamber, acting for the President, F. Macken, N. Colneric
the Berufungssenat V der Finanzlandesdirektion für Wien,                    and S. von Bahr (Presidents of Chambers), C. Gulmann
   Niederösterreich und Burgenland): Walter Schmid (1)                      (Rapporteur), A. La Pergola, J.-P. Puissochet, M. Wathelet and
(Concept of ‘court or tribunal of a Member State’ within the                V. Skouris, Judges; F.G. Jacobs, Advocate General; H. von
meaning of Article 234 EC — Lack of jurisdiction of the                     Holstein, Deputy Registrar, has given a judgment on 14 May
                          Court of Justice)                                 2002, in which it has ruled:
                          (2002/C 169/08)                                   Article 5(1) of First Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December
                                                                            1988 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to
                   (Language of the case: German)                           trade marks is to be interpreted as meaning that the proprietor of a
                                                                            trade mark cannot rely on his exclusive right where a third party, in
(Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published      the course of commercial negotiations, reveals the origin of goods
                   in the European Court Reports)                           which he has produced himself and uses the sign in question solely to
                                                                            denote the particular characteristics of the goods he is offering for sale
In Case C-516/99: Reference to the Court under Article 234                  so that there can be no question of the trade mark used being
EC by the Berufungssenat V der Finanzlandesdirektion für                    perceived as a sign indicative of the undertaking of origin.
Wien, Niederösterreich und Burgenland (Austria) for a prelimi-
nary ruling in the proceedings brought by Walter Schmid, on                 (1) OJ C 63 of 4.3.2000.
the interpretation of Articles 73b and 73d of the EC Treaty
(now Articles 56 EC and 58 EC), the Court (Fifth Chamber),
composed of: P. Jann, President of the Chamber, S. von Bahr,
D.A.O. Edward, M. Wathelet (Rapporteur) and C.W.A. Tim-
mermans, Judges; A. Tizzano, Advocate General; R. Grass,
Registrar, has given a judgment on 30 May 2002, in which it
has ruled:
                                                                                              JUDGMENT OF THE COURT
The Court of Justice of the European Communities has no jurisdiction
to answer the questions referred by the Berufungssenat V der                                          (Sixth Chamber)
Finanzlandesdirektion für Wien, Niederösterreich und Burgenland,
by order of 2 December 1999.
                                                                                                         16 May 2002
(1) OJ C 79 of 18.3.2000.
                                                                            in Case C-63/00 (Reference for a preliminary ruling from
                                                                            the Bundesverwaltungsgericht): Land Baden-Württem-
                                                                            berg and Günther Schilling, participant: Oberbundesan-
                                                                            walt beim Bundesverwaltungsgericht, v Bezirksregierung
                 JUDGMENT OF THE COURT                                      Lüneburg and Hans-Otto Nehring, participant: Oberbun-
                                                                                    desanwalt beim Bundesverwaltungsgericht (1)
                            14 May 2002
                                                                            (Common agricultural policy — Regulation (EEC) No 3887/
in Case C-2/00 (Reference for a preliminary ruling from                     92 — Integrated administration and control system for
the Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf): Michael Hölterhoff v                     certain Community aid schemes — Implementing rules —
                       Ulrich Freiesleben (1)                               Application for ‘livestock’ aid — Checks on animals —
                                                                                             Reduction of the amount of aid)
(Approximation of laws — Trade marks — Directive 89/
104/EEC — Article 5(1) — Scope of the proprietor’s
exclusive right to the trade mark — Third party — Use of                                               (2002/C 169/10)
            the trade mark for descriptive purposes)
                                                                                               (Language of the case: German)
                          (2002/C 169/09)
                   (Language of the case: German)                           (Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published
                                                                                                in the European Court Reports)
(Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be published
                   in the European Court Reports)
                                                                            In Case C-63/00: Reference to the Court under Article 234 EC
In Case C-2/00: Reference to the Court under Article 234 EC                 by the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (Germany) for a preliminary
by the Oberlandesgericht Düsseldorf (Germany) for a                         ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between