Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 16 May 2013 — Aleris v OHIM — Carefusion 303 (ALARIS)

(Case T‑353/12)

Community trade mark — Revocation proceedings — Community word mark ALARIS — Genuine use of the mark — Article 51(1)(a) and (2) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — No genuine use of a trade mark — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Concept (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3)) (see paras 16, 17, 34)

2.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — No genuine use of a trade mark — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Partial use — Effect — Concept of ‘part of goods or services’ concerned by registration (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3)) (see paras 18-20, 22)

3.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — No genuine use of a trade mark — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Application of the criteria to the case in question (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3)) (see paras 35, 36)

4.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — No genuine use of a trade mark — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Concept — Determination of a quantitative threshold of minimum use — Exclusion (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3)) (see para. 37)

5.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — No genuine use of a trade mark — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Criteria for assessment — Requirement of solid and objective evidence (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3)) (see para. 38)

6.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Possibility for the General Court to alter the contested decision — Limits (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65(2) and (3)) (see para. 44)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 11 May 2012 (Case R 334/2011-5) relating to revocation proceedings between Aleris Holding AB and Carefusion 303, Inc.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) of 11 May 2002 (Case R 334/2011-5) in so far as it rejects the application for revocation of the trade mark ALARIS in respect of the goods falling within Class 10 other than infusion systems, syringe pumps, volumetric pumps, controllers, thermometers and disposable thermometers;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders each party to bear its own costs.