Judgment of the Court of First Instance of 16 September 2008 - ratiopharm v OHIM (BioGeneriX)
(Community trade mark - Application for Community word mark BioGeneriX - Absolute ground for refusal - Partially descriptive character - Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94)
Language of the case: German
Parties
Applicant: ratiopharm GmbH (Ulm, Germany) (represented initially by S. Völker, then by S. Völker and A. Schabenberger, lawyers)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: G. Schneider, Agent)
Re:
Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 20 December 2006 (Case R 1048/2004-4) concerning an application for registration of the word mark BioGeneriX as a Community trade mark.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court hereby:
1. Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 20 December 2006 (Case R 1048/2004-4), in so far as chemical substances for preserving foodstuffs, falling within Class 1, are concerned;
2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;
3. Orders ratiopharm GmbH to bear its own costs and to pay half of OHIM's costs. OHIM will bear the other half of its costs.
____________1 - OJ C 82, 14.4.2007.