Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 15 December 2016 — Keil v EUIPO — NaturaFit Diätetische Lebensmittelproduktion (BasenCitrate)

(Case T‑330/15)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU word mark BasenCitrate — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptive character — Article 7(1)(b) and (c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

1.      EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Pleas in law not set out in the application — General reference to other documents — Inadmissibility

(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 76(d))

(see para. 13)

2.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Criteria

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 16-18, 20, 39)

3.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Concept — Neologism consisting of elements descriptive of characteristics of the goods or services concerned — Whether included where the nature of the combination is not unusual

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see para. 19)

4.      EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Registration contrary to Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation No 207/2009 — Word mark BasenCitrate

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 25, 26, 30, 31, 40-42)

5.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Assessment of the registrability of a sign — EU rules only taken into account — Earlier registration of the mark in certain Member States or third countries — Decisions not binding EU bodies

(Council Regulation No 207/2009)

(see para. 45)

6.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Refusal of registration based on one of the absolute grounds for refusal set out in Article 7(1) of Regulation No 207/2009 — Whether sufficient

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1))

(see para. 47)

7.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Overlap between the scope of the grounds for refusal set out in subparagraphs (b) and (c) of Article 7(1) of Regulation No 207/2009

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1))

(see para. 48)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 15 April 2015 (Case R 1541/2014-1), relating to invalidity proceedings between NaturaFit Diätetische Lebensmittelproduktions GmbH and Mr Keil.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Mr Rudolf Keil to pay the costs.