Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 30 November 2017 – Toontrack Music v EUIPO (SUPERIOR DRUMMER)

(Case T-895/16)

(European Union trade mark — Application for EU word mark SUPERIOR DRUMMER — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Re-evaluation of the facts in the light of evidence produced for the first time before it – Not included

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)

(see para. 15)

2.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Aim – Need to preserve availability

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 21, 24)

3.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign – Criteria

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 22, 23)

4.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service – Word mark SUPERIOR DRUMMER

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 27, 31-33, 44, 50)

5.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Absolute grounds for refusal – Descriptive character of a sign – Circumstance necessarily implying absence of distinctive character of the sign

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b) and (c))

(see para. 51)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 3 October 2016 (Case R 2438/2015-5) concerning the registration of the word mark SUPERIOR DRUMMER as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

1.       Dismisses the action;

2.       Orders Toontrack Music AB to pay the costs.