Judgment of the General Court of 6 March 2024 – Puma v EUIPO – Handelsmaatschappij J. Van Hilst (Shoe)

(Case T-647/22) ¹

(Community design – Invalidity proceedings – Registered community design representing a shoe – Disclosure of the prior design – Article 7 of Regulation (EC) No 6/2002)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Puma SE (Herzogenaurach, Germany) (represented by: M. Schunke and P. Trieb, lawyers)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: E. Markakis, acting as Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Handelsmaatschappij J. Van Hilst BV (Waalwijk, Netherlands) (represented by: L. Jonker and M. Roosendaal, lawyers)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment of the decision of the Third Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 11 August 2022 (Case R 726/2021-3).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.    Dismisses the action;

2.    Orders Puma SE to pay the costs.

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¹     OJ C 463, 5.12.2022.