Source: http://rychlicki.net/en/issue/polish-law/polish-act-on-trade-marks/art-71-tma/
Timestamp: 2019-04-24 04:05:29+00:00

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The Voivodeshipp Administrative Court in Warsaw its judgment of 21 December 2010 case file VI SA/Wa 1579/10 dismissed the complaint filed by the Polish company Dimyat Polska Sp. z o.o. against the decisions of the Polish Patent Office on the refusal to grant the right of protection for the word trade mark PLISKA Z-135975 applied for the goods in Class 33 such as alcoholic beverages, wines, liqueurs, cognac, brandy, vodka, spirits. The PPO decided that the applied trade mark is devoid of sufficient distinctive character, because it does not individualise the goods on the market. The sign Pliska has no distinctive graphics, does not have any distinguishing features that would help to identify the manufacturer of the goods. Pliska is the name of the village in Bulgaria, in the Shumen district. It is not a fancy designation, but a sign informing about the geographical origin. The first figurative trade mark Pliska has been applied in the Republic of Poland in 1962 by the Bulgarian company. Since then alcohol products bearing Pliska trade mark have been introduced on different markets, among others, the Polish one. In addition, the PPO noted that the mark applied sign may contain inaccurate information, as it may cause confusion of the average consumer as to the origin of goods. The recipient who are buying alcoholic beverages bearing Pliska sign would believe that they were produced in Bulgaria. The Court agreed with the PPO and supported its view with the arguments included in the judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU of 4 May 1999 in joined cases C-108/97 and C-109/97 Windsurfing Chiemsee Produktions.
Dimyat Polska Sp. z o.o. filed a cassation complaint. The company argued inter alia that the decision in this case was issued by a person whose mother in law sat in the panel of the judges in the VAC. At the hearing before the Supreme Administrative Court, the counsel for the PPO acknowledged that the decision of the first instance in the Patent Office was issued by an expert who is daughter in law of one of the judges.
The Supreme Administrative Court in its judgment of 28 September 2012 case file II GSK 1563/11 overturned the judgment of the VAC and sent it back for further reconsideration. The SAC held that despite the merits of the cassation complaint, there was a condition of nullity of the proceedings. The Polish Act on Proceedings Before Administrative Courts states that a judge is excluded in deciding a case in matters that concern his or her relatives in a straight line and in-laws to the second degree. In the present case, the mother-in-law is a first-degree relationship. The institution of exclusion of a judge is a procedural guarantee which consist of the impartiality of the judge that is identified with objectivity of the proceedings. The impartiality of judges is this kind of value for which the protection and execution is particularly important in a democratic state of law. Such defined impartiality should be identified with objectivity that is expressed in the equal treatment of the parties of any proceedings, so that there is no favorable situation for any of them. The court proceedings must be conducted in such a way that there is not even an apparent impression of behavior that would be deemed as disregard of standards of impartiality, being a manifestation of judicial independence.
Categories: Art. 315 IPL | Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 7(2) TMA | Art. 8(3) TMA | Directive 89/104/EEC | EU law | geographical indications | Polish Act on Industrial Property Law | Polish Act on Trade marks | Polish courts | Polish institutions | Polish Patent Office | Polish Supreme Administrative Court | Voivodeship Administrative Court.
The Polish Patent Office invalidated in part the right of protection for 100 R-156995 trade mark that was registered for Agencja Wydawnicza TECHNOPOL Spółka z o.o. for goods in class 16 such as posters, albums, almanacs, stationery, blocks, drawing blocks, brochures, magazines, charade journals, prints, forms, newspapers, calendars, calendars with tear loose, filing cards, cards, card-notices, postcards, comics, books, crossword puzzles, stickers, notepads, covers, stationery, bookmarks, drawing kits, notebooks. Technopol filed a complaint against this decision but it was dismissed by the Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw in its judgment of 7 December 2009 case file VI SA/Wa 1677/09. Technopol decided to file a cassation complaint.
The Supreme Administrative Court in its judgment of 15 March 2011 case file II GSK 368/10 dismissed the complaint in part. The SAC held that the designation, which in fact is the number 100, is a highly informative sign for magazines and journals containing charades, and, as such may not be the monopolized by one entity that would like to use it for marking crosswords magazines. The Court noted also that adding to a trade mark any image does not yet give the sign a concrete distinctive character.
Categories: Art. 13 TMA | Art. 4 TMA | Art. 6 TMA | Art. 6(1)(b) Directive 89/104 | Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 7(2) TMA | descriptive character | Directive 89/104/EEC | distinctive character | EU law | Polish Act on Trade marks | Polish Supreme Administrative Court | trade mark invalidation | trademark law.
The Swiss company Marquard Media, current publisher of the magazine “Przegląd Sportowy”, which since 1974 always includes a supplement entitled “Skarb Kibica” (in English: Fan’s Treasure), succeeded in registering SKARB KIBICA R-134960 at the Polish Patent Office.
In 2004, Profus Management requested the invalidation of the right of protection for the SKARB KIBICA trade mark. Profus claimed that this sign has informational nature rather than distinctive character. It provided an opinion written by professor Urszula Promińska to support its arguments with this regard. In 1992 Profus Management bought the weekly football magazine “Piłka Nożna” with “Skarb Kibica” column. Marquard Media filed a trade mark infringement suit.
In 2006, the PPO has decided on the invalidation of the right of protection. The Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw in its judgment of 2 October 2006 case file VI SA/WA 791/06 reversed this decision, but only because of deficiencies in the proceedings and send it back to the PPO for reconsideration.
When examining the case after the judgment, the PPO in its decision of 25 February 2008 case file Sp. 213/07 dismissed Profus Management request. The PPO held that the mere use of the sign in question by different entities cannot deprive its distinctiveness. When the case went again in 2009 to the VAC, the owner of “Przegląd Sportowy” and “Skarb Kibica” was Axel Springer Poland. The Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw in its judgment of 27 February 2009 case file VI SA/Wa 2219/08 dismissed Profus complaint. The Supreme Administrative Court in its judgment of 31 August 2010 case file II GSK 626/09 upheld this decision. The SAC held that the mere use of this sign by different publishers at the date of its registration cannot deprive its distinctiveness. The distinctive character of such a sign is examined, of how it was perceived by readers interested in football and sport activities.
Categories: Art. 129(2)(iii) IPL | Art. 4 TMA | Art. 7 APC | Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 7(2) TMA | Art. 77 APC | distinctive character | Polish Act on Trade marks | Polish Administrative Proceedings Code | Polish Supreme Administrative Court | trade mark infringement | trade mark invalidation | trademark law.
On 17 February 2005, Société des Produits Nestlé S.A. from Vevey applied to the Polish Patent Office to register the word-figurative trade mark Frappé Z-291280 for goods in class 30. On August 2005 Nestlé filed a request for invalidation of the right of protection of the FRAPPE R-13842 trade mark, registered for goods in class 30 and 32 owned by Polish company “MASPEX” Spólka z o.o. form Wadowice. Nestlé based its request on provisions of Article 7(2) and Article 8(3) of the old Polish Act of 31 January 1985 on Trade Marks – TMA – (in Polish: Ustawa o znakach towarowych), published in Journal of Laws (Dziennik Ustaw) No 5, item 15, with subsequent amendments.
Nestlé argued that the word “frappe” is a generic term, widely used in trade, as a sign for chilled coffee beverages. The company based its legitimate interest to have standing in proceedings before the Polish Patent Office on the principle of freedom of access to the indications that have descriptive meaning. In addition, Nestlé informed the PPO that it had sent a warning letter to Maspex because the Polish company had introduced to the market a product with similar name. In Nestlé’s opinion the exclusive right granted to Maspex to mark its products with the word “frappe” was a “unlawful constitutional restriction”. After the hearings and careful analysis of the evidence provided by both parties, the PPO found that the word FRAPPE (even being foreign word) was a term used widely to describe the properties of a beverage (cold, frozen, with ice cubes), especially of coffee, or to determine the type of coffee and it could not serve as sign capable of distinguishing goods of one entrepreneur from goods of another entrepreneur in normal market conditions. The PPO also shared Nestlé’s position based on the article 8(3) of the TMA that the wide range of names of goods covered in the registration of the contested trade mark are not frappe. Maspex filed a complaint.
The Voivodeship Administrative Cout in Warsaw in its judgment of 12 October 2008 case file VI SA/Wa 1486/08 fully agreed with the PPO’s decision and dismissed the complaint.
Categories: Art. 20 Constitution | Art. 22 Constitution | Art. 30 TMA | Art. 315 IPL | Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 7(2) TMA | case law | distinctive character | legal interest | likelihood of confusion | Polish Act on Trade marks | Polish Constitution | trade mark invalidation | trademark law.
The Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw in its judgment of 14 November 2006 case file VI SA/Wa 1705/06, published in LEX under the no. 299601, by referring directly to the wording of the IPL, ruled that the exemption from the registration of trade marks classified as descriptive does not mean that every trade mark that consist of elements that describe the product, its qualities or characteristics, is deprived the registrability. Only signs which may serve in trade to provide information about the characteristics of the goods should be recognized as descriptive trade marks under the TMA.
This case concerned the request for the invalidation of the right of protection for word-figurative trade mark “CIEPŁA PODŁOGA” R-155237 registered for goods in Class 11 such as heating mats, owned by “ELEKTRA” Włodzimierz Nyc, Witold Nyc Spółka Jawna.
Categories: Art. 151 PBAC | Art. 315 IPL | Art. 4 TMA | Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 7(2) TMA | descriptive character | trade mark invalidation | Voivodeship Administrative Court.
The Voivodeship Administrative Court in Warsaw in its judgment of 2 March 2006, case file VI SA/Wa 1705/05 decided on trade dress and 3D trade mark TERRAVITA R-142204 owned by Terravita Holding Establishment. The Court ruled that according to the provisions of Article 30 of the Act on 31 January 1985 on Trade marks (Journal of Laws No 5, item 17 with subsequent amendments), a legal interest to demand the invalidation of a trademark registration is afforded to an entity which derives such right from a competence to fill for trade mark registration, use of a trade mark, or to demand the invalidation of a trade mark registration for the sake of the collision with its own rights.
The Court also noted that there is a presumption of good faith and bad faith, and it has to be proven. There is an assumption that someone is acting in bad faith if he or she has the awareness of discrepancy of the situation with the law or as a result of his or her negligence in knowledge about the legal situation. In accordance with the well established doctrine, practice and case law, a trade mark according to Article 7 and Article 9(1) pt 1 and 2 of the TMA, should be examined as a whole. It is not allowed to test only one element of the complex sign, for instance the figurative element, without taking into the consideration of the word elements of the complex sign, or doing it insufficiently. Therefore, if the Polish Patent Office examines individual elements of a sign, it should in next, put them together and draw the final conclusions. See also “Trade mark law, case II GSK 247/06“.
Categories: Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 7(2) TMA | Art. 9(1)(i) TMA | bad faith | legal interest | likelihood of confusion | non-traditional trade marks | product packaging | similarity of signs | trade mark examination | trade mark invalidation | trademark law | Voivodeship Administrative Court.
The Supreme Administrative Court in its judgment of 29 June 2005 case file II GSK 92/05 held that a sign that is depicted as confectionery, or a cookie called delicja (Jaffa cake) cannot be registered as a trade mark, because it only shows and serve as a shape of a product. The Polish Patent Office has granted the right of protection for the 3D trade mark R-116211. The applied sign was described as a flat round cookie, the lower portion being the disc with rounded edges is colored in pale yellow, the top of the cake has circular elevations of smaller diameter, the surface of which is convex, rectangular grid, and the entire upper surface of the cake is in dark chocolate brown. Five different Polish companies have requested the PPO to invalidate the right of protection, and argued that it was applied contrary to Polish and European regulations. The PPO invalidated the right in question. The owner, LU POLSKA Spółka Akcyjna, filed a complaint against this decision. The Voivodeship Administratie Court in its judgment of 18 October 2004 case file II SA 3199/03 dismissed it. LU POLSKA filed a cassation complaint.
The Supreme Administrative Court ruled that the ability of distinguishing the goods or services (the so-called “abstract ability to distinguish” goods or services) must be distinguished from the “sufficient distinctiveness” of an applied trade mark. Only after finding that a given sign is capable to serve as a trademark, its distinctive ability in concreto is subject to examination. A sign cannot be identified with the product itself. The Court ruled that the interpretation of Articles 4 and 7 of the old Polish Act of 31 January 1985 on Trade Marks – TMA – (in Polish: Ustawa o znakach towarowych), published in Journal of Laws (Dziennik Ustaw) No 5, item 15, with subsequent amendments, should be made in accordance with the provisions of Article 3(1)(e) of the First Directive 89/104. Accordingly, signs which consist exclusively of the shape which results from the nature of the goods themselves shall not be registered or if registered shall be liable to be declared invalid. This regulation should be interpreted in the manner that signs which consist exclusively of the shape of goods shall not be registered if it is proven that basic, functional features of such shape are assigned only to technical characteristics.
The contradictions with the law or rules of social coexistence, that are the condition of inadmissibility to register a trade mark, must not only connect directly to the sign itself, but also to the circumstances surrounding the registration of the mark if they contain elements contrary to law or the rules of social coexistence. In addition, the violation of other laws than those included in the TMA should be considered as the registration contrary to law. The registration of a 3D trade mark whose sole purpose is to monopolize the market of a given product and thus deprive the competitors of the freedom of establishment as regards the possibility of further production of the same product, is violation of the provisions of the law.
Categories: absolute grounds for refusal | Art. 3(1)(b) Directive 89/104 | Art. 4 TMA | Art. 6 Constitution | Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 8(1) TMA | bad faith | Directive 89/104/EEC | distinctive character | EU law | non-traditional trade marks | Polish Act on Trade marks | Polish Supreme Administrative Court | product packaging | trade mark invalidation | trademark law.
The Supreme Administrative Court in its judgment of 8 June 2005 case file II GSK 65/05 held that it is accepted in the case law that the sufficient distinctiveness of a trade mark should be examined in concreto and not in abstracto. This means also that the sign must relate to the specific goods listed in the application form. The Court ruled that informational and descriptive character of the sign is a characteristic that demonstrates the lack of concrete, not the abstract distinctive character of a sign. This case concerned the examination proceedings of the word trade mark “supermarket” Z-197930 that was applied for by the Polish company AGORA S.A.
Categories: Art. 185 §1 PBAC | Art. 4 TMA | Art. 7(1) TMA | Art. 7(2) TMA | descriptive character | distinctive character | Polish Supreme Administrative Court | trade mark examination.

References: Art. 315
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 8
 Art. 13
 Art. 4
 Art. 6
 Art. 6
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 129
 Art. 4
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 77
 Art. 20
 Art. 22
 Art. 30
 Art. 315
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 151
 Art. 315
 Art. 4
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 7
 Art. 9
 Art. 3
 Art. 4
 Art. 6
 Art. 7
 Art. 8
 Art. 185
 §1
 Art. 4
 Art. 7
 Art. 7