1. 

Judicial proceedings – Production of evidence – Time limit – Evidence submitted out of time – Conditions – Decision-making practice of EUIPO which postdates the proceedings – Admissibility

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 85(3))

(see paragraph 25)

2. 

EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action brought against a decision by 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 – Limits

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

(see paragraphs 34, 35)

3. 

EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal – Review of the legal classification given to the facts of the dispute

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(2))

(see paragraph 64)

4. 

EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Proof of use – Genuine use – Definition – Criteria for assessment – Requirement for solid and objective evidence

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1)(a) and 58(1)(a); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Arts 10(3) and 19(1))

(see paragraphs 69-72)

5. 

EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Grounds for revocation – Lack of genuine use of the mark – Proof of use – Genuine use – Definition – Criteria for assessment

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 18(1)(a) and 58(1)(a); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Arts 10(3) and 19(1))

(see paragraph 88)

6. 

EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of a department of EUIPO ruling at first instance and referred to the Board of Appeal – Functional continuity between those two bodies – Examination of the appeal by the Board of Appeal – Scope

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 71(1))

(see paragraph 105)

1. 

Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 5 July 2021 (Case R 1548/2020-1) in so far as it maintained the registration of the EU trade mark in respect of ‘shirts’;

2. 

Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Worldwide Brands, Inc. Zweigniederlassung Deutschland in the course of the proceedings before the Court;

3. 

Orders Mr Eric Guangyu Wan to bear the costs he has incurred in the course of the proceedings before the Court.