Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 16 December 2015 —
Perfetti Van Melle v OHIM (DAISY/MARGARITAS)

(Joined Cases T‑381/13 and T‑382/13)

Community trade mark — Application for Community word marks DAISY and MARGARITAS — Absolute grounds for refusal — Partial refusal to register — No distinctive character — Distinctive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal — Re-examination of the facts in the light of evidence not previously submitted before OHIM bodies — Exclusion (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65) (see para. 24)

2.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Appeal to a Board of Appeal — Competence of the Boards of Appeal (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 59, first sentence, and 64(1)) (see paras 33-35, 38)

3.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Concept (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 50, 51)

4.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Word marks DAISY and MARGARITAS (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c)) (see paras 63-70)

5.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks devoid of any distinctive character — Assessment of distinctive character — Criteria (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(b)) (see paras 77-79)

Re:

ACTIONS brought against two decisions of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 10 April 2013 (Cases R 427/2012-1 and R 430/2012-1), concerning applications for registration of the word sign DAISY and the word sign MARGARITAS as Community trade marks.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the two decisions of the First Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (OHIM) of 10 April 2013 (Cases R 427/2012-1 and R 430/2012-1), in so far as they rejected the applications for registration of the word sign DAISY and the word sign MARGARITAS as Community trade marks in respect of the following goods: ‘confectionery, pastries, sweets, soft caramels, marshmallows, caramels, chewing gum, gelatine (confectionery), liquorice, lollipops, toffee, pastilles, sugar, chocolate, cocoa’;

2. Orders OHIM to pay the costs.