201805250441897012018/C 200/542972017TC20020180611EN01ENINFO_JUDICIAL20180424424211

Case T-297/17: Judgment of the General Court of 24 April 2018 — VSM v EUIPO (WE KNOW ABRASIVES) (European Union trade mark — Application for EU word mark WE KNOW ABRASIVES — Mark consisting of an advertising slogan — Competence of the Board of Appeal in appeals limited to part of the services covered by the application for registration — Article 64(1) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 71(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Absolute ground for refusal — Lack of distinctiveness — Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001))


C2002018EN4210120180424EN0054421421

Judgment of the General Court of 24 April 2018 — VSM v EUIPO (WE KNOW ABRASIVES)

(Case T-297/17) ( 1 )

‛(European Union trade mark — Application for EU word mark WE KNOW ABRASIVES — Mark consisting of an advertising slogan — Competence of the Board of Appeal in appeals limited to part of the services covered by the application for registration — Article 64(1) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 71(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Absolute ground for refusal — Lack of distinctiveness — Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001))’

2018/C 200/54Language of the case: German

Parties

Applicant: VSM.Vereinigte Schmirgel- und Maschinen-Fabriken AG (Hanover, Germany) (represented by: M. Horak, lawyer)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: W. Schramek and A. Söder, acting as Agents)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 6 March 2017 (Case R 1595/2016-4) concerning an application for registration of the word sign WE KNOW ABRASIVES as an EU trade mark.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.

Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 6 March 2017 (Case 1595/2016-4) in so far as it refused registration of the word sign WE KNOW ABRASIVES for services in Class 35 corresponding to the following description: ‘Advertising; commercial management services; secretariat services; wholesale service in the field of metallic construction products; commercial administration’;

2.

Rejects the remainder of the form of order sought of VSM.Vereinigte Schmirgel- und Maschinen-Fabriken AG;

3.

Orders VSM.Vereinigte Schmirgel- und Maschinen-Fabriken AG and EUIPO each to bear its own costs.

( 1 ) OJ C 231, 17.7.2017.