CELEX: 62008CB0039
Language: en
Date: 2009-02-12 00:00:00
Title: Joined Cases C-39/08 and C-43/08: Order of the Court of 12 February 2009 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundespatentgericht (Germany)) — Bild digital GmbH & Co. KG, formerly Bild.T-Online.de AG & Co. KG (C-39/08), ZVS Zeitungsvertrieb Stuttgart GmbH (C-43/08) v Präsident des Deutschen Patent- und Markenamts (First subparagraph of Article 103(3) of the Rules of Procedure — Directive 89/104/EEC — Applications for registration of trade marks — Examination on a case-by-case basis — Failure to take account of earlier decisions — Manifest inadmissibility)

16.5.2009   
            
            
               EN
            
            
               Official Journal of the European Union
            
            
               C 113/15
            
         Order of the Court of 12 February 2009 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundespatentgericht (Germany)) — Bild digital GmbH & Co. KG, formerly Bild.T-Online.de AG & Co. KG (C-39/08), ZVS Zeitungsvertrieb Stuttgart GmbH (C-43/08) v Präsident des Deutschen Patent- und Markenamts
   (Joined Cases C-39/08 and C-43/08) (1)
   
   (First subparagraph of Article 103(3) of the Rules of Procedure - Directive 89/104/EEC - Applications for registration of trade marks - Examination on a case-by-case basis - Failure to take account of earlier decisions - Manifest inadmissibility)
   2009/C 113/30
   Language of the case: German
   
      Referring court
   
   Bundespatentgericht (Germany)
   
      Parties
   
   
      Applicants: Bild digital GmbH & Co. KG, formerly Bild.T-Online.de AG & Co. KG (C 39/08), ZVS Zeitungsvertrieb Stuttgart GmbH (C 43/08)
   
      Defendant: Präsident des Deutschen Patent- und Markenamts
   
      Re:
   
   Reference for a preliminary ruling — Bundespatentgericht (Germany) — Interpretation of Article 3 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) — Examination of applications for registration of trade marks on a case-by-case basis without account being taken of earlier decisions in similar situations — Refusal to register a trade mark applied for by the proprietor of a series of similar marks
   
      Operative part of the order
   
   The competent authority of a Member State required to rule on an application for registration of a trade mark is not required to disregard the grounds for refusal of registration set out in Article 3(1)(a), (b) and (c) of Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks, as amended by Council Decision 92/10/EEC of 19 December 1991, and to grant that application on the ground that the sign for which registration as a trade mark is sought is composed in a manner identical or comparable to a sign which it has already accepted for registration as a trade mark and which refers to identical or similar goods or services.
   
      (1)  OJ C 107, 26.4.2008.