CELEX: 62001CJ0218
Language: en
Date: 2004-02-12 00:00:00
Title: Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber) of 12 February 2004.#Henkel KGaA.#Reference for a preliminary ruling: Bundespatentgericht - Germany.#Approximation of laws - Trade marks - Directive 89/104/EEC - Article 3(1)(b), (c) and (e) - Grounds for refusal to register - Three-dimensional shape of product mark - Distinctive character.#Case C-218/01.

Case C-218/01 Proceedings broughtbyHenkel KGaA(Reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundespatentgericht)
         
            «(Approximation of laws – Trade marks – Directive 89/104/EEC – Article 3(1)(b), (c) and (e) – Grounds for refusal of registration – Three-dimensional mark consisting of the packaging of goods – Distinctiveness)»
            
               
                  Opinion of Advocate General Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer delivered on 14 January 2003 
                     
                
               
            
                   
               
               
            
               
                  Judgment of the Court (Sixth Chamber), 12 February 2004  
                     
                
               
            
                   
               
               
            
            Summary of the Judgment
         
         
                  1..
                  Approximation of laws – Trade marks – Directive 89/104 – Refusal of registration or invalidity – Three-dimensional trademarks consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the very
                     nature of the goods – Packaging assimilated to shape of goods – Consequence – Packaging which may constitute the shape of the goods within the meaning of Article 3(1)(e) and serve to designate characteristics
                     of the goods within the meaning of Article 3(1)(c) of the directive  
                  (Council Directive 89/104, Art. 3(1)(c) and (e)) 
         
                  2..
                  Approximation of laws – Trade marks – Directive 89/104 – Refusal of registration or invalidity – Three-dimensional trademarks consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged for reasons linked to the very nature
                     of the goods – Assessment of distinctiveness – Criteria  
                  (Council Directive 89/104, Art. 3(1)(b)) 
         
                  3..
                  Approximation of laws – Trade marks – Directive 89/104 – Refusal of registration or invalidity – Absence of distinctiveness – Appraisal by the competent authority – Examination solely on the basis of national trade usage – Registration in another Member State of an identical mark for identical goods – Possibility that it is taken into consideration but without being decisive – Registration in another Member State of a similar mark for similar goods – No effect  (Council Directive 89/104, Art. 3(1)(b)) 
         
         1.
          For three-dimensional marks consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the very
         nature of the goods, the packaging thereof must be assimilated to the shape of the goods, so that that packaging may constitute
         the shape of the goods within the meaning of Article 3(1)(e) of First Directive 89/104 on trade marks and may, where appropriate,
         serve to designate characteristics of the packaged goods, including their quality, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(c) of
         that directive. see paras 37, 44, operative part 1
         
         2.
          For three-dimensional trade marks consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the
         very nature of the product, their distinctive character within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of First Directive 89/104 on
         trade marks must be assessed by reference to the perception of the average consumer of such goods, who is reasonably well
         informed and reasonably observant and circumspect. Such a trade mark must enable such a consumer to distinguish the product
         concerned from those of other undertakings without conducting an analytical or comparative examination and without paying
         particular attention. see para. 53, operative part 2
         
         3.
          The distinctive character of a trade mark within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of First Directive 89/104 may be assessed
         solely on the basis of national trade usage, without any need for other administrative investigations to be undertaken in
         order to determine whether and to what extent identical trade marks have been registered or have been refused registration
         in other Member States of the European Union. The fact that an identical trade mark has been registered in one Member State for identical goods or services may be taken
         into consideration by the competent authority of another Member State among all the circumstances which that authority must
         take into account in assessing the distinctive character of a trade mark, but it is not decisive regarding the latter's decision
         to grant or refuse registration of a trade mark. On the other hand, the fact that a trade mark has been registered in one Member State for certain goods or services can have
         no bearing on the examination by the competent trade mark registration authority of another Member State of the distinctive
         character of a similar trade mark for goods or services similar to those for which the first trade mark was registered. see para. 65, operative part 3
      

      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
      
            
            JUDGMENT OF THE COURT (Sixth Chamber)12 February 2004  (1)
         
         
            
         
               ((Approximation of laws – Trade marks – Directive 89/104/EEC – Article 3(1)(b), (c) and (e) – Grounds for refusal to register – Three-dimensional shape of product mark – Distinctive character))
               
             In Case C-218/01, 
             REFERENCE to the Court under Article 177 of the EC Treaty (now Article 234 EC) by the Bundespatentgericht (Germany) for a
            preliminary ruling in the proceedings pending before that court between 
            
            
            
            Henkel KGaA
            
            and
            
            Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt
            
             on the interpretation of Article 3(1)(b), (c) and (e) of First Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate
            the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks (OJ 1989 L 40, p. 1),
            
            THE COURT (Sixth Chamber),,
            
             composed of: C. Gulmann, acting for the President of the Sixth Chamber, J.N. Cunha Rodrigues, J.-P. Puissochet, R. Schintgen and F. Macken (Rapporteur), Judges, 
            
             Advocate General: D. Ruiz-Jarabo Colomer, Registrar: L. Hewlett, Principal Administrator, 
            
            
            after considering the written observations submitted on behalf of: 
               
               
               ─
                the Commission of the European Communities, by N. Rasmussen and P. Nemitz, acting as Agents, 
               
               
            
            
            having regard to the Report for the Hearing,
            
            after hearing the oral observations of Henkel KGaA, represented by C. Osterrieth, Rechtsanwalt, and the Commission, represented
               by N. Rasmussen and P. Nemitz, at the hearing on 14 November 2002,
            
            
            after hearing the Opinion of the Advocate General at the sitting on 14 January 2003, 
         gives the following
         
         
         Judgment
         1
            
          By order of 10 April 2001, received at the Court on 29 May 2001, the Bundespatentgericht referred to the Court for a preliminary
         ruling under Article 234 EC three questions on the interpretation of Article 3(1)(b), (c) and (e) of the First Council Directive
         89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks (OJ 1989 L 40, p. 1, 
         
         the Directive). 
         
         
         2
            
          Those questions were raised in proceedings brought by Henkel KGaA (hereinafter  
         Henkel) against the refusal by Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt (German patent and trade mark office) to register a mark of that
         company on the ground that it lacks distinctive character. 
         
            
               Legal background
             Community legislation
         
         
         3
            
          The aim of the Directive, according to the first recital in the preamble thereto, is to approximate the laws of the Member
         States on trade marks in order to obviate disparities which might impede the free movement of goods and freedom to provide
         services and might distort competition within the common market. 
         
         
         4
            
          According to the 10th recital in the preamble to the Directive, the aim of the protection afforded by registered trade marks
         is in particular to guarantee the trade mark as an indication of origin. 
         
         
         5
            
          Article 2 of the Directive, entitled  
         Signs of which a trade mark may consist, provides: A trade mark may consist of any sign capable of being represented graphically, particularly words, including personal names,
         designs, letters, numerals, the shape of goods or of their packaging, provided that such signs are capable of distinguishing
         the goods or services of one undertaking from those of other undertakings.
         
         
         6
            
          Article 3 of the Directive, which lists the grounds for refusal or invalidity of registrations, provides: 
         
         1.
          The following shall not be registered or if registered shall be liable to be declared invalid: 
         
         (a)
          signs which cannot constitute a trade mark; 
         
         
         (b)
          trade marks which are devoid of any distinctive character; 
         
         
         (c)
          trade marks which consist exclusively of signs or indications which may serve, in trade, to designate the kind, quality, quantity,
         intended purpose, value, geographical origin, or the time of production of the goods or of rendering of the service, or other
         characteristics of the goods or service; 
         
         
         ...;
          
         
         
         (e)
          signs which consist exclusively of: 
         
         
         
         ─
          the shape which results from the nature of the goods themselves, or 
         
         
         
         ─
          the shape of goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result, or 
         
         
         
         ─
          the shape which gives substantial value to the goods; ... 
         
         
         
         3.
          A trade mark shall not be refused registration or be declared invalid in accordance with paragraph 1(b), (c) or (d) if, before
         the date of application for registration and following the use which has been made of it, it has acquired a distinctive character.
         Any Member State may in addition provide that this provision shall also apply where the distinctive character was acquired
         after the date of application for registration or after the date of registration. ...
         
          Domestic legislation
         
         
         7
            
          Under Article 3 of the Gesetz über den Schutz von Marken und sonstigen Kennzeichnungen (Law on the protection of marks and
         other distinctive signs) of 25 October 1994 (BGBl. 1994 I, p. 3082,  
         the Markengesetz), which entered into force on 1 January 1995 and transposed the Directive into German law: (1) Any sign, particularly words, including personal names, designs, letters, numerals, aural signs, three-dimensional forms,
         including the shape of goods or their packaging and other presentations, including colours and combinations of colours, may
         be protected as trade marks, provided they are capable of distinguishing the goods or services of one undertaking from those
         of other undertakings.(2) Trade mark protection shall not be afforded to signs which consist exclusively of a shape
         
         1.
          which results from the nature of the goods themselves,
         
         
         2.
          which is necessary to obtain a technical result, or
         
         
         3.
          which gives substantial value to the goods.
         
         
         
         8
            
          Under Article 8(1) of the Markengesetz, registration will be refused of signs qualifying for protection under Article 3 thereof
         which are not capable of being represented graphically. 
         
         
         9
            
          Article 8(2) of the Markengesetz provides: The following trade marks shall not be registered:
         
         1.
          those which are devoid of any distinctive character in respect of the goods or services, 
         
         
         2.
          those which consist exclusively of signs or indications which may serve, in trade, to designate the kind, quality, quantity,
         intended purpose, value, geographical origin, or the time of production of the goods or of rendering of the services, or other
         characteristics of the goods.
         ...
         
         
         10
            
          Article 8(3) of the Markengesetz provides that the provisions of paragraph 2(1) and (2) of that article are not to apply where
         the trade mark has, prior to the decision on registration, become accepted in the trade circles concerned following the use
         which has been made of it in respect of the goods and services for which it has been applied for. 
         The dispute in the main proceedings and the questions referred to the Court
         
         11
            
          On 18 June 1998, Henkel applied for registration as a colour three-dimensional trade mark of the shape reproduced below, in
         respect of  
         liquid wool detergent. 
         
         
         12
            
          The mark consists of a tall bottle, which narrows towards the top, with an integral handle, a rather small pouring aperture
         and a two-level stopper, which can also be used as a measuring cup. 
         
         
         13
            
          The application was rejected by the Deutsches Patent- und Markenamt under Article 8(2)(1) of the Markengesetz on the ground
         that the shape in question is a usual form of packaging for the goods concerned, which does not display the character of an
         indication of the origin of the product and is thus devoid of distinctive character. 
         
         
         14
            
          Henkel commenced proceedings against that rejection before the Bundespatentgericht. In particular, it contended that the trade
         mark of which it sought registration is distinctive in character by reason of the general impression which it gives. As a
         result of the combination of its shape and colours, it clearly distinguishes the goods in question from those of its competitors.
         According to Henkel, the trade is accustomed to attributing the goods concerned to certain manufacturers, in particular on
         the basis of the shape and presentation of the bottle. That is also clear from a survey carried out on its behalf in April
         1998. 
         
         
         15
            
          Henkel considers that the mark of which registration is sought is likewise not subject to any requirement that descriptive
         signs of the kind referred to in Article 8(2)(2) of the Markengesetz (which corresponds to Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive)
         must remain available, given that the trade is not dependent on the shape and colours which are registered but is able, on
         the contrary, to use numerous and varying shapes for liquid wool detergent bottles. 
         
         
         16
            
          The Bundespatentgericht found that the sign of which registration is sought is capable of constituting a trade mark, in accordance
         with Article 2 of the Directive. 
         
         
         17
            
          The national court considers that, so far as concerns applications for registration of three-dimensional shapes of the packaging
         of goods that are generally packaged in trade, account must also be taken of the grounds for refusal of registration set out
         in Article 3(1)(e) of the Directive. However, in the case of the mark of which registration is sought in the main proceedings,
         it observes that it displays characteristics which are not imposed by the very nature of the goods, are not necessary in order
         to obtain a technical result and do not give substantial value to the goods within the meaning of that provision. 
         
         
         18
            
          As to Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive, the application of which is not excluded by Article 3(1)(e), the national court considers
         that the possibility cannot be excluded that a shape of packaging, such as that of a bottle, for which registration is applied
         for may be capable of describing its contents and, as a result, the goods in question. It also refers to the public interest
         underlying Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive. According to the national court, that provision requires that the freedom to
         choose any indications and any signs which may serve to describe the characteristics of the goods in question must be upheld.
          
         
         
         19
            
          In those circumstances, considering that the decision to be given in the proceedings before it depends on an interpretation
         of Article 3(1)(b), (c) and (e) of the Directive, the Bundespatentgericht stayed the proceedings and referred the following
         questions to the Court for a preliminary ruling: 
         
         1.
          In the case of three-dimensional trade marks which consist of the packaging of goods which are normally traded in packaged
         form (such as liquids, for example), is the packaging of the goods to be equated with the shape of the goods for the purpose
         of trade mark law in such a way that 
         
         (a)
          the packaging of the goods is to be regarded as the shape of the goods for the purpose of Article 3(1)(e) of the Directive;
         and 
         
         
         (b)
          the packaging of the goods may serve to designate the (external) quality of the packaged goods for the purpose of Article
         3(1)(c) of the Directive? 
         
         
         
         2.
          In the case of three-dimensional trade marks which consist of the packaging of goods which are normally traded in packaged
         form does the establishment of distinctive character within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Directive turn on whether
         or not the average consumer, who is reasonably well informed and reasonably observant and circumspect, is able to recognise
         the characteristic features of the three-dimensional trade mark applied for, which differ from the norm or custom in the sector
         and are therefore decisive as regards its capability of serving as an indication of origin, without even conducting an analytical
         or comparative examination and without paying particular attention? 
         
         
         3.
          Can the necessary assessment of distinctive character be made solely on the basis of the relevant national trade perceptions
         without further official investigations being necessary to establish whether and to what extent identical or comparable trade
         marks have been registered or refused registration in other Member States of the European Union?
         
         The first question Observations submitted to the Court
         
         
         20
            
          As regards paragraph (a) of the first question, Henkel submits that the legal rationale of Article 3(1)(e) of the Directive,
         as identified by the Court in its judgment in Case C-299/99  
         Philips [2002] ECR I-5475, cannot be extended to the registration as a mark of the packaging used for a product. If the packaging
         at issue in the main proceedings were registered, no economic operator would be prevented from placing a liquid detergent
         product on the market. It would merely be prevented from using the packaging, bottle or flask adopted by the proprietor of
         the mark. 
         
         
         21
            
          Henkel observes, with regard to liquid goods, that their shape is inherent in their very nature. If the goods have no shape,
         as in the case of liquids, they cannot acquire a shape by means of their packaging. 
         
         
         22
            
          As regards paragraph (b) of the first question, Henkel considers that the average consumer draws a distinction between goods
         and their packaging. There is only a very limited relationship between the packaging and its contents. Henkel observes that
         there is a wide variety of packaging and that the main proceedings are concerned with a new form of presentation. 
         
         
         23
            
          According to Henkel, the principle that the packaging, in general, gives an indication as to the quality of the product cannot
         be taken as a starting point. The liquid state of goods is in all cases merely a state of aggregation and that does not constitute
         a quality of the goods or, at least, is not the quality which matters as far as Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive is concerned.
         
         
         
         24
            
          The Commission of the European Communities relies on the statements which it made jointly with the Council of the European
         Union concerning Article 3(1)(e) of the Directive, which were entered in the Council minutes when the Directive was adopted
         (OHIM Official Journal No 5/96, p. 607), according to which they consider that  
         where goods are packaged, the expression  
         shape of goods includes the shape of the packaging, and therefore suggests that paragraph (a) of the first question be answered in the affirmative. 
         
         
         25
            
          However, it considers that that answer does not necessarily imply that the conditions laid down in Article 3(1)(e) are satisfied
         in the present case. 
         
         
         26
            
          As regards paragraph (b) of the first question, the Commission submits that trade marks made up of  
         signs or indications, as referred to in Article 3(1)(c), also encompass non-word two-dimensional or three-dimensional signs. Thus, that provision
         could also relate to the packaging of goods of a three-dimensional shape. The fact that the joint statements of the Council
         and the Commission refer to Article 3(1)(e) does not, in its view, preclude the potential applicability of Article 3(1)(c)
         to the packing of goods of a three-dimensional shape. 
         
         
         27
            
          According to the Commission, a distinction must be drawn between the potential applicability of Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive
         to three-dimensional marks consisting of the packaging of products and its specific application to the present case. It emphasises
         that the quality of the packaging cannot be automatically assimilated to the (external) quality of its contents. On the contrary,
         in order to determine whether a three-dimensional shaped packaging is descriptive of the quality ─ in particular the external
         quality ─ of the packaged goods within the meaning of Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive, it is necessary to analyse, taking
         account of trade perceptions, the contents of the packaging and the relationship between the packaging and its contents. 
         
         
         28
            
          The Commission concludes that the packaging of goods of a three-dimensional shape may serve to designate the quality of a
         packaged product within the meaning of Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive. 
          Findings of the Court
         
         
         29
            
          Under Article 2 of the Directive, the shape of the goods or of their packaging may constitute a mark, provided, first, that
         it is capable of being represented graphically and, second, that it is capable of distinguishing the goods or services of
         one undertaking from those of other undertakings. 
         
         
         30
            
          As in the case of every other mark, the sign of which registration is applied for must fulfil the mark's essential function,
         which is to guarantee the identity of the origin of the marked product or service to the consumer or end-user by enabling
         him, without any possibility of confusion, to distinguish the product or service from others which have another origin. For
         a trade mark to be able to fulfil its essential role in the system of undistorted competition which the Treaty seeks to establish,
         it must offer a guarantee that all the goods or services bearing it have originated under the control of a single undertaking
         which is responsible for their quality (see, in particular, Case C-349/95  
         Loendersloot [1997] ECR I-6227, paragraphs 22 and 24, Case C-39/97  
         Canon [1998] ECR I-5507, paragraph 28, and  
         Philips, cited above, paragraph 30). 
         
         
         31
            
          As regards the grounds for refusal of registration set out in Article 3(1) of the Directive, it must be borne in mind that
         marks must always be examined in relation to the goods or services in respect of which registration is applied for (
         Philips, cited above, paragraph 59). 
         
         
         32
            
          Goods exist which possess an intrinsic shape, in so far as this necessarily derives from the features of the goods themselves
         and it is unnecessary to give them a particular shape to enable them to be marketed. In such cases, there is, in principle,
         no sufficiently close relationship between the packaging and the goods, with the result that the packaging cannot be assimilated
         to the shape of the goods for the purposes of examining an application for registration as a mark. This might be the case,
         for example, of nails, which are, in trade, generally packaged. 
         
         
         33
            
          On the other hand, other goods exist which do not possess an intrinsic shape and must be packaged in order to be marketed.
         The packaging chosen imposes its shape on the goods. In such circumstances, that packaging, for the purposes of examining
         an application for registration as a mark, must be assimilated to the shape of the product. That applies, for example, to
         goods manufactured, in particular, in the form of granules, powder or liquid which, because of their very nature, lack a shape
         of their own. 
         
         
         34
            
          Under Article 3(1)(e) of the Directive, signs which consist exclusively of the shape which results from the nature of the
         goods themselves, the shape of the goods which is necessary to obtain a technical result or the shape which gives substantial
         value to the goods are not to be registered or, if registered, are liable to be declared invalid. 
         
         
         35
            
          Where an economic operator applies for registration as a trade mark of the packaging of goods of the kind described in paragraphs
         11 and 12 of this judgment, the shape of the product and that of its packaging must be assimilated to each other for the purposes
         of a refusal of registration based on the grounds set out in Article 3(1)(e) of the Directive. 
         
         
         36
            
          Since, as the Court has already held, the latter provision represents a preliminary obstacle liable to prevent a sign consisting
         exclusively of the shape of a product from being registrable (
         Philips, cited above, paragraph 76), it follows that such an application for registration must be examined, in the first place, having
         regard to the three grounds for refusal set out in that provision. 
         
         
         37
            
          The answer to paragraph (a) of the first question must therefore be that, in the case of three-dimensional marks consisting
         of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the very nature of the goods, the packaging thereof
         must be assimilated to the shape of the goods, so that that packaging constitutes the shape of the goods within the meaning
         of Article 3(1)(e) of the Directive. 
         
         
         38
            
          As regards paragraph (b) of the first question, it must be borne in mind at the outset, with regard to the possibility of
         considering an application for registration of a three-dimensional mark consisting of the packaging of the goods in the light
         of the various grounds for refusal set out in Article 3(1) of the Directive, that each of those grounds is independent of
         the others and calls for separate examination (see Joined Cases C-53/01 to C-55/01  
         Linde and Others [2003] ECR I-3161, paragraph 67). 
         
         
         39
            
          It follows that if a three-dimensional shape-of-product trade mark is not refused registration under Article 3(1)(e) of the
         Directive, registration may still be refused if it falls within one or more of the categories mentioned by that provision,
         in particular in Article 3(1)(b) to (d) (
         Linde and Others, cited above, paragraph 68). 
         
         
         40
            
          Under Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive, registration will be refused of descriptive marks, that is to say those which consist
         exclusively of signs or indications which may serve, in trade, to designate the characteristics of the goods or services for
         which registration is applied for. 
         
         
         41
            
          The public interest underlying that provision implies that, subject to Article 3(3), any trade mark which consists exclusively
         of a sign or indication which may serve to designate the characteristics of goods or a service within the meaning of that
         provision must be freely available to all and not be registrable. 
         
         
         42
            
          Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive does not exclude the possibility that a trade mark which consists of a packaging of a three-dimensional
         shape assimilated to the shape of the goods may serve to designate certain characteristics of the goods thus packaged. Whilst
         it might be difficult to identify such characteristics, the possibility that the packaging might describe the characteristics
         of the product, including its quality, cannot be ruled out. 
         
         
         43
            
          In that connection, the competent authority called on to apply that provision must examine the relationship between the packaging
         and the nature of the goods for which registration of the mark is sought and must determine, in relation to those goods and
         in the light of a specific examination of all the relevant elements characterising that trade mark, and, in particular in
         the light of the above-mentioned public interest, whether the ground for refusal of registration provided for by that provision
         applies in the case before it. 
         
         
         44
            
          In view of the foregoing considerations, the answer to paragraph (b) of the first question must be that, for three-dimensional
         trade marks consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the very nature of the
         goods, the packaging thereof may serve to designate characteristics of the packaged goods, including their quality, within
         the meaning of Article 3(1)(c) of the Directive. 
         The second question
         
         45
            
          By its second question, the national court asks whether, for three-dimensional trade marks consisting of the packaging of
         goods which are generally packaged in trade, their distinctive character within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Directive
         depends on whether an average consumer who is reasonably well informed and reasonably observant and circumspect is able, even
         without conducting an analytical or comparative examination and without paying particular attention, to recognise the characteristic
         features of the three-dimensional trade mark applied for, which differ from the norm or custom in the sector, so that they
         are capable of distinguishing the goods concerned from those of other undertakings. 
          Observations submitted to the Court
         
         
         46
            
          Henkel contends that, contrary to the national court's view, consumers distinguish between goods and their packaging. As a
         result of that differentiation, they are able to attribute an original function to the packaging. 
         
         
         47
            
          According to the Commission, the decisive factor in that regard is the average consumer's perception and not an abstract assessment
         of characteristics which  
         differ from the norm or custom in the sector, in the terms of the second question. If the latter are not decisive in themselves, they may nevertheless in certain cases
         influence the average consumer's perception. The Commission considers that the Court must apply the principles deriving from
         its case-law, in which it has already indicated to national courts that they must take into account the presumed expectations
         of an average consumer who is reasonably well informed and reasonably observant and circumspect (see in particular Case C-210/96
          
         Gut Springenheide and Tusky [1998] ECR I-4657, paragraphs 30, 31 and 37). 
          Findings of the Court
         
         
         48
            
          According to the case-law of the Court, for a mark to possess distinctive character within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b),
         it must serve to identify the product in respect of which registration is applied for as originating from a particular undertaking,
         and thus to distinguish that product from products of other undertakings (
         Linde and Others, paragraph 40). 
         
         
         49
            
          It follows that a simple departure from the norm or customs of the sector is not sufficient to render inapplicable the ground
         for refusal given in Article 3(1)(b) of the Directive. In contrast, a trade mark which significantly departs from the norm
         or customs of the sector and thereby fulfils its essential original function is not devoid of distinctive character. 
         
         
         50
            
          That distinctive character of a trade mark within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) must be assessed by reference, first, to
         the goods or services in respect of which registration is sought and, second, to the perception of the relevant persons, namely
         the consumers of the goods or services. That means the presumed expectations of an average consumer who is reasonably well
         informed and reasonably observant and circumspect (see, to that effect, Case C-210/96  
         Gut Springenheide and Tusk y, paragraph 31,  
         Philips, paragraph 63, and  
         Linde and Others, paragraph 41). 
         
         
         51
            
          The competent authority must therefore undertake a specific assessment of the distinctive character of the trade mark at issue,
         referring to the perception of the average consumer as defined in paragraph 50 of this judgment, in order to verify that it
         fulfils its essential function, namely that of guaranteeing the origin of the product. 
         
         
         52
            
          In any event, the perception of the average consumer is not necessarily the same in the case of a three-dimensional trade
         mark, consisting of the packaging of a product, as it is in the case of a word or figurative mark which consists of a sign
         that is independent from the appearance of the goods it denotes. Average consumers are not in the habit of making assumptions
         about the origin of goods based on the shape of their packaging, in the absence of any graphic or word element, and it could
         therefore prove more difficult to establish distinctive character in the case of such a three-dimensional trade mark than
         in the case of a word or figurative mark (see, to that effect,  
         Linde and Others, cited above, paragraph 48, and, as regards a mark consisting of a colour, Case C-104/01  
         Libertel [2003] ECR I-3793, paragraph 65). 
         
         
         53
            
          In view of the foregoing considerations, the answer to the second question must be that, for three-dimensional trade marks
         consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the very nature of the product, their
         distinctive character within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Directive must be assessed by reference to the perception
         of the average consumer of such goods, who is reasonably well informed and reasonably observant and circumspect. Such a trade
         mark must enable such a consumer to distinguish the product concerned from those of other undertakings without conducting
         an analytical or comparative examination and without paying particular attention. 
         The third question
         
         54
            
          By its third question, the national court seeks to ascertain whether the distinctive character of a trade mark within the
         meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of the Directive can be assessed solely by reference to national trade usage without further administrative
         investigations being necessary to establish whether and to what extent identical trade marks have been registered or refused
         registration in other Member States of the European Union. 
          Observations submitted to the Court
         
         
         55
            
          Henkel considers that the practices and decisions of the competent authorities regarding registration or refusal of registration
         of a sign must be taken into consideration by the competent authorities of the other Member States in order to ensure that,
         in the future, the Directive will be applied in the light of a Community view of consumers. 
         
         
         56
            
          The Commission for its part submits that the decisions of the authorities and courts of the European Union and its Member
         States concerning the registration or refusal of registration of trade marks have an indicative value for the purposes of
         assessing the distinctive character referred to in Article 3(1)(b) of the Directive where the trade marks have been registered
         on the basis of harmonised legislation and in the absence of specific factors indicating a different perception in national
         trade. 
         
         
         57
            
          According to the Commission, it would be wholly consonant with the objectives of the Treaty, and with the provisions thereof
         relating to the internal market, for the Bundesgerichtshof, Germany, to consider registrations made in the other Member States
         of the European Union to be useful, but not binding, in assessing the distinctive character of trade marks, where they have
         been registered on the basis of harmonised legislation and there is no specific factor which might give the impression that
         the German public has a perception of the trade mark different from that of consumers in those other States. 
         
         
         58
            
          The Commission emphasises that it is precisely in trade mark law that the effective approximation of trade usage and that
         of consumers in the internal market can be effectively taken into account. Although Community law does not make it compulsory
         for investigations to be carried out by the authorities on their own initiative in that regard, it does require that the Directive
         and the laws transposing it be interpreted and applied in the light of the purpose of the Treaty, namely the attainment of
         the internal market which is characterised by the abolition, between Member States, of obstacles to the free movement of goods,
         persons, services and capital. 
          Findings of the Court
         
         
         59
            
          It must be observed that, according to the first recital in its preamble, the purpose of the Directive is to approximate the
         laws of Member States applicable to trade marks. According to the seventh recital, the attainment of the objectives at which
         that approximation of laws aims requires that the conditions for obtaining and continuing to hold a registered trade mark
         are, in general, identical in all Member States. 
         
         
         60
            
          As the Court has held, the competent authorities called on to apply and interpret the relevant national law must do so, as
         far as possible, in the light of the wording and the purpose of the Directive so as to achieve the result it has in view and
         thereby comply with the third paragraph of Article 249 EC (Joined Cases C-71/94 to C-73/94  
         Eurim-Pharm [1996] ECR I-3603, paragraph 26, and Case C-63/97  
         BMW [1999] ECR I-905, paragraph 22). 
         
         
         61
            
          The competent authority of a Member State may take account of the registration in another Member State of an identical trade
         mark for products or services identical to those for which registration is sought. 
         
         
         62
            
          However, it does not thereby follow that the competent authority of a Member State is bound by the decisions of the competent
         authorities of the other Member States, since the registration of a trade mark depends, in each specific case, on specific
         criteria, applicable in precise circumstances, the purpose of which is to demonstrate that the trade mark is not caught by
         any of the grounds for refusal of registration set out in Article 3(1) of the Directive. 
         
         
         63
            
          In that connection, whilst registration of an identical trade mark for identical goods or services effected in one Member
         State constitutes a circumstance which may be taken into consideration by the competent authority of another Member State
         among all the facts and circumstances which it is appropriate to take into account, it cannot, however, be decisive as regards
         the latter authority's decision to grant or refuse registration of a given trade mark. 
         
         
         64
            
          As to whether it is necessary, when distinctive character is assessed under Article 3(1)(b) of the Directive, to undertake
         administrative investigations to determine whether and to what extent similar trade marks have been registered in other Member
         States, it need merely be borne in mind that the fact that a trade mark has been registered in one Member State for certain
         goods or services can have no bearing on the examination by the competent trade mark registration authority of another Member
         State of the distinctive character of a similar mark for goods or services similar to those in respect of which the first
         trade mark was registered (judgment delivered today in Case C-363/99  
         KPN [2004] ECR I-1619, paragraph 44). 
         
         
         65
            
          The answer to the third question must therefore be that the distinctive character of a trade mark within the meaning of Article
         3(1)(b) of the Directive may be assessed solely on the basis of national trade usage, without any need for other administrative
         investigations to be undertaken in order to determine whether and to what extent identical trade marks have been registered
         or have been refused registration in other Member States of the European Union. The fact that an identical trade mark has been registered in one Member State as a mark for identical goods or services may
         be taken into consideration by the competent authority of another Member State among all the circumstances which that authority
         must take into account in assessing the distinctive character of a trade mark, but it is not decisive regarding the latter's
         decision to grant or refuse registration of a trade mark.On the other hand, the fact that a trade mark has been registered in one Member State for certain goods or services can have
         no bearing on the examination by the competent trade mark registration authority of another Member State of the distinctive
         character of a similar trade mark for goods or services similar to those for which the first trade mark was registered.
         
         Costs
         66
            
          The costs incurred by the Commission, which has submitted observations to the court, are not recoverable. Since these proceedings
         are, for the parties to the main action, a step in the proceedings pending before the national court, the decision on costs
         is a matter for that court. 
         
         On those grounds, 
         
         
         
            
            THE COURT (Sixth Chamber),
         
         
          in answer to the questions referred to it by the Bundespatentgericht by order of 10 April 2001, hereby rules: 
         
            
            1.
             For three-dimensional trade marks consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the
            very nature of the goods, the packing thereof must be assimilated to the shape of the goods, so that that packing may constitute
            the shape of the goods within the meaning of Article 3(1)(e) of the First Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988
            to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks and may, where appropriate, serve to designate characteristics
            of the packaged goods, including their quality, within the meaning of Article 3(1)(c) of that directive. 
            
            
            2.
             For three-dimensional trade marks consisting of the packaging of goods which are packaged in trade for reasons linked to the
            very nature of the product, their distinctive character within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of Directive 89/104 must be
            assessed by reference to the perception of the average consumer of such goods, who is reasonably well informed and reasonably
            observant and circumspect. Such a trade mark must enable such a consumer to distinguish the product concerned from those of
            other undertakings without conducting an analytical or comparative examination and without paying particular attention. 
            
            
            3.
             The distinctive character of a trade mark within the meaning of Article 3(1)(b) of Directive 89/104 may be assessed solely
            on the basis of national trade usage, without any need for other administrative investigations to be undertaken in order to
            determine whether and to what extent identical trade marks have been registered or have been refused registration in other
            Member States of the European Union. The fact that an identical trade mark has been registered in one Member State for identical goods or services may be taken
            into consideration by the competent authority of another Member State among all the circumstances which that authority must
            take into account in assessing the distinctive character of a trade mark, but it is not decisive regarding the latter's decision
            to grant or refuse registration of a trade mark. On the other hand, the fact that a trade mark has been registered in one Member State for certain goods or services can have
            no bearing on the examination by the competent trade mark registration authority of another Member State of the distinctive
            character of a similar trade mark for goods or services similar to those for which the first trade mark was registered. 
            
            
                  Gulmann
               
               
                  Cunhna Rodrigues
               
               
                  Puissochet
               
            
                  Schintgen
               
               
                  Macken
               
               
                  
               
            
                  
               
               
                  
               
               
                  
               
            
                  
               
               
                  
               
               
                  
               
            
                  
               
               
                  
               
               
                  
               
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
            
         
         
          Delivered in open court in Luxembourg on 12 February 2004. 
         
         
         
         
                  R. Grass 
               
               
                  V. Skouris  
               
            
         
         
         
                  Registrar
               
               
                  President 
               
            
      
      
          1 –
            
             Language of the case: German.