CELEX: 62016TA0030
Language: en
Date: 2017-02-15 00:00:00
Title: Case T-30/16: Judgment of the General Court of 15 February 2017 — M. I. Industries v EUIPO — Natural Instinct (Natural Instinct Dog and Cat food as nature intended) (EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark Natural Instinct Dog and Cat food as nature intended — Earlier EU word marks INSTINCT and NATURE’S VARIETY — Genuine use of the earlier mark — Nature of the use — Article 42(2) of Regulation No 207/2009 — Rule 22(3) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 2868/95)

27.3.2017   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 95/11
            
         Judgment of the General Court of 15 February 2017 — M. I. Industries v EUIPO — Natural Instinct (Natural Instinct Dog and Cat food as nature intended)
   (Case T-30/16) (1)
   
   ((EU trade mark - Opposition proceedings - Application for EU figurative mark Natural Instinct Dog and Cat food as nature intended - Earlier EU word marks INSTINCT and NATURE’S VARIETY - Genuine use of the earlier mark - Nature of the use - Article 42(2) of Regulation No 207/2009 - Rule 22(3) and (4) of Regulation (EC) No 2868/95))
   (2017/C 095/19)
   Language of the case: English
   
      Parties
   
   
      Applicant: M. I. Industries, Inc. (Lincoln, Nebraska, United States) (represented by: initially by T. Elias, Barrister, and B. Cookson, Solicitor, and subsequently by M. Montañá Mora, lawyer)
   
      Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: E. Zaera Cuadrado, acting as Agent)
   
      Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervening before the General Court: Natural Instinct Ltd (Camberley, United Kingdom) (represented by: C. Spintig, S. Pietzcker, lawyers, and B. Brandreth, Barrister)
   
      Re:
   
   Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 26 November 2015 (Case R 2944/2014-5), relating to opposition proceedings between M. I. Industries and Natural Instinct.
   
      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 26 November 2015 (Case R 2944/2014-5) in so far as it concludes that there is no genuine use of the earlier word mark INSTINCT;
            
         
               2.
            
            
               Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
            
         
               3.
            
            
               Orders EUIPO to bear, in addition to its own costs, half of the costs incurred by M. I. Industries Inc.;
            
         
               4.
            
            
               Orders M. I. Industries to bear half of its own costs;
            
         
               5.
            
            
               Orders Natural Instinct Ltd to bear its own costs.
            
         
      (1)  OJ C 106, 21.3.2016.