Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 30 November 2017 – Koton Mağazacilik Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret v EUIPO – Nadal Esteban (STYLO & KOTON)
(Case T-687/16)
(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark STYLO & KOTON — Absolute ground for refusal — Article 52(1)(b) of (EC) Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of (EU) Regulation 2017/1001) — No bad faith)
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EU trade mark–Surrender, revocation and invalidity–Absolute grounds for invalidity–Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application–Criteria for assessment–Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration–Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign–Intention of the applicant–Degree of legal protection of the signs at issue–Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark–Chronology of events characterising the filing of the trade mark application (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(2) and 52(1)(b)) (see paras 26-32, 40, 55) |
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Judicial proceedings–Application initiating proceedings–Formal requirements–Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based (Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para., and 53; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d)) (see para. 46) |
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EU trade mark–Appeals procedure–Action before the EU judicature–Jurisdiction of the General Court–Re-evaluation of the facts in the light of evidence produced for the first time before it–Not included (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65) (see para. 50) |
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EU trade mark–Decisions of the Office–Legality–EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice–Principle of non-discrimination–Irrelevant (Council Regulation No 207/2009) (see para. 59) |
Re:
ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 14 June 2016 (Case R 1779/2015-2), relating to invalidity proceedings between Koton Mağazacilik Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret and Mr Nadal Esteban.
Operative part
The Court:
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Dismisses the action; |
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Orders Koton Mağazacilik Tekstil Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ to pay the costs. |