Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 16 June 2015 — H.P. Gauff Ingenieure v OHIM — Gauff (Gauff JBG Ingenieure)

(Case T‑585/13)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community figurative mark Gauff JBG Ingenieure — Earlier national and Community word and figurative marks GAUFF — Relative grounds for refusal — Partial refusal to register — Application for restitutio in integrum — Article 81 of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Restitutio in integrum — Conditions — Vigilance required by circumstances — Exceptional events, which cannot therefore be predicted (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 81(1)) (see paras 22-24)

2.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Restitutio in integrum — Conditions under which applicable — Restrictive interpretation (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 81(1)) (see para. 25)

3.                     Community trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of sound administration — OHIM’s previous decision-making practice — Principle of legality (see para. 32)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 5 September 2013 (Case R 596/2013-1) relating to an application for restitutio in integrum.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders H.P. Gauff Ingenieure GmbH & Co. KG — JBG to bear its own costs as well as those incurred by the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM);

3. 3. Orders Gauff GmbH & Co. Engineering KG to bear its own costs.