Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 17 January 2024

Uitspraak

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 17 January 2024 –
Athlet v EUIPO – Heuver Banden Groothandel (ATHLET)

(Case T‑650/22) (¹)

( EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark ATHLET – Absolute ground for invalidity – Bad faith – Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) )

1.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))

(see paragraphs 34-38)

2.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account all relevant factors at the time of filing of the application for registration – Intention of the applicant – Origin of the disputed trade mark – Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark – Chronology of events leading up to the filing of the trade mark application

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))

(see paragraphs 30-41, 76)

3.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Burden of proof

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))

(see paragraphs 42, 43, 77)

4.      EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – Article 94(1), first sentence, of Regulation 2017/1001 – Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU – Recourse by the Board of Appeal to implicit reasoning – Whether permissible – Conditions

(Art. 296 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)

(see paragraphs 44, 45)

5.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when filing the trade mark application – Word mark ATHLET

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b))

(see paragraphs 52-60, 80)

6.      EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of the Cancellation Division of EUIPO – Examination by the Board of Appeal – Scope – Evidence submitted for the first time before the Board of Appeal – Account taken – Discretion of the Board of Appeal

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(2); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27(4))

(see paragraph 67)

7.      EU trade mark – Proceedings before the adjudicating bodies of EUIPO – Obligation of EUIPO, including the Boards of Appeal, to adopt decisions within a reasonable time

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(1); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)

(see paragraphs 85-87)

8.      EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Observance of the rights of the defence – Scope of the principle

(Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1))

(see paragraphs 91, 97)

Operative part

The Court: