Action brought on 7 August 2023 — ePlus v EUIPO — Telefónica Germany (E-Plus)

(Case T-462/23)

(2023/C 338/42)

Language in which the application was lodged: English

Parties

Applicant: ePlus Inc. (Herndon, Virginia, United States) (represented by: A. Mottet, lawyer)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal: Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG (Munich, Germany)

Details of the proceedings before EUIPO

Proprietor of the trade mark at issue: Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal

Trade mark at issue: European Union word mark E-Plus — European Union trade mark No 17 698 846

Procedure before EUIPO: Cancellation proceedings

Contested decision: Decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 2 June 2023 in Case R 1463/2022-1

Form of order sought

The applicant claims that the Court should:

—	annul the contested decision;

—	order EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the applicant, including those incurred for the purposes of the proceedings before the Cancellation Division and the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO;

—	order any intervener to bear its own costs.

Pleas in law

—	Insufficient assessment of genuine use and implications for bad faith assessment;

—	Misinterpretation of evidence pertaining to cessation of use;

—	Disregard for proprietor’s discontinuation of use and implication for bad faith assessment.