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Document C2006/131/43
Case C-59/05: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 23 February 2006 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof) — Siemens AG v Gesellschaft für Visualisierung und Prozeßautomatisierung mbH (VIPA) (Approximation of laws — Directives 84/450/EEC and 97/55/EC — Comparative advertising — Taking unfair advantage of the reputation of a distinguishing mark of a competitor)
Case C-59/05: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 23 February 2006 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof) — Siemens AG v Gesellschaft für Visualisierung und Prozeßautomatisierung mbH (VIPA) (Approximation of laws — Directives 84/450/EEC and 97/55/EC — Comparative advertising — Taking unfair advantage of the reputation of a distinguishing mark of a competitor)
Case C-59/05: Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 23 February 2006 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof) — Siemens AG v Gesellschaft für Visualisierung und Prozeßautomatisierung mbH (VIPA) (Approximation of laws — Directives 84/450/EEC and 97/55/EC — Comparative advertising — Taking unfair advantage of the reputation of a distinguishing mark of a competitor)
SL C 131, 3.6.2006, p. 24–24
(ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, IT, LV, LT, HU, NL, PL, PT, SK, SL, FI, SV)
|
3.6.2006 |
EN |
Official Journal of the European Union |
C 131/24 |
Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 23 February 2006 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof) — Siemens AG v Gesellschaft für Visualisierung und Prozeßautomatisierung mbH (VIPA)
(Case C-59/05) (1)
(Approximation of laws - Directives 84/450/EEC and 97/55/EC - Comparative advertising - Taking unfair advantage of the reputation of a distinguishing mark of a competitor)
(2006/C 131/43)
Language of the case: German
Referring court
Bundesgerichtshof (Germany)
Parties to the main proceedings
Applicant: Siemens AG
Defendant: VIPA Gesellschaft für Visualisierung und Prozeßautomatisierung mbH
Re:
Reference for a preliminary ruling — Bundesgerichtshof — Interpretation of Article 3a(1)(g) of Council Directive 84/450/EEC of 10 September 1984 relating to the approximation of the laws, regulations and administrative provisions of the Member States concerning misleading advertising (OJ 1984 L 250, p. 17), as inserted by Directive 97/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 October 1997 (OJ 1997 L 290, p. 18) — Comparative advertising — Products sold under reference to what are essentially the product order numbers of a competitor
Operative part of the judgment
Article 3a(1)(g) of Council Directive 84/450/EEC of 10 September 1984 concerning misleading and comparative advertising, as amended by Directive 97/55/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 6 October 1997, must be interpreted as meaning that, in circumstances such as those in the main proceedings, by using in its catalogues the core element of a manufacturer's distinguishing mark which is known in specialist circles, a competing supplier does not take unfair advantage of the reputation of that distinguishing mark.