Judgment of the General Court of 28 September 2016 — European Food v EUIPO — Société des produits Nestlé (FITNESS)

(Case T-476/15) ¹

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark FITNESS — Absolute grounds for refusal — No distinctive character — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c), Article 52(1)(a) and Article 76 of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Rule 37(b)(iv) and Rule 50(1) of Regulation (EC) No 2868/95 — Production of evidence for the first time before the Board of Appeal)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: European Food SA (Drăgănești, Romania) (represented by: I. Speciac, lawyer)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: M. Rajh, acting as Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Société des produits Nestlé SA (Vevey, Switzerland) (represented by: A. Jaeger-Lenz, A. Lambrecht and S. Cobet-Nüse, lawyers)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 19 June 2015 (Case R 2542/2013-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between European Food and Société des produits Nestlé.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 19 June 2015 (Case R 2542/2013-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between European Food SA and Société des produits Nestlé SA;

Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by European Food;

Orders Société des produits Nestlé to bear its own costs.

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¹     OJ C 337, 12.10.2015.