Judgment of the General Court of 13 September 2013 – Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt v OHIM – Castel Frères (CASTEL)

(Case T-320/10) ¹

(Community trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – Community word mark CASTEL – Absolute ground for refusal – Descriptive character – Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 – Admissibility – Absolute ground for refusal not put forward before the Board of Appeal – Examination of the facts by OHIM of its own motion – Article 76(1) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt Albrecht Fürst zu Castell-Castell (Castell, Germany) (represented by: R. Kunze, G. Würtenberger and T. Wittmann, lawyers)

Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: P. Geroulakos and G. Schneider, acting as Agents)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM, intervener before the General Court: Castel Frères SAS (Blanquefort, France) (represented by: A. von Mühlendahl and H. Hartwig, lawyers)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 4 May 2010 (Case R 962/2009-2), relating to invalidity proceedings between Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt Albrecht Fürst zu Castell-Castell and Castel Frères SAS

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 4 May 2010 (Case R 962/2009-2);

Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Fürstlich Castell’sches Domänenamt Albrecht Fürst zu Castell-Castell;

Orders Castel Frères SAS to bear its own costs.

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¹ OJ C 260, 25.9.2010.