Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 9 July 2015 —
CMT v OHIM — Camomilla (CAMOMILLA)

(Case T‑100/13)

Community trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — Community word mark CAMOMILLA — Earlier national figurative mark Camomilla — Absolute ground for refusal — Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — No bad faith on the part of the proprietor of the Community trade mark — Relative ground for refusal — Genuine use of the earlier mark — Additional evidence brought before the Board of Appeal

1.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Direction issued to the Office — Exclusion (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65(6)) (see para. 23)

2.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Applicant in bad faith at the time of lodging the trade mark application — Criteria for assessment — Taking account of all the relevant factors existing at the time of filing the application for registration — Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign — Intention of the applicant — Degree of legal protection of the signs at issue — Commercial logic underlying the registration of the sign contested as a Community trade mark — Chronology of events characterising the filing of the trade mark application (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b)) (see paras 31, 34-36)

3.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Applicant in bad faith at the time of lodging the trade mark application — Word mark CAMOMILLA (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b)) (see paras 41-44)

4.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Concept (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 57(2); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 22(3)) (see paras 55-57)

5.                     Community trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 57(2); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 22(3)) (see paras 58-60)

6.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Invalidity proceedings — Facts and evidence not submitted in support of the claim for invalidity within the time-limit — Account taken — Discretion of the Board of Appeal (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 57(2), and 76(2); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 40(6)) (see paras 68, 69, 74-76, 78)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 29 November 2012 (Case R 1616/2011-1), concerning invalidity proceedings between CMT — Compagnia manifatture tessili Srl (CMT Srl) and Camomilla SpA.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) of 29 November 2012 (Case R 1616/2011-1);

2. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and those incurred by CMT Compagnia manifatture tessili Srl (CMT Srl);

3. Orders CAMOMILLA SpA to bear its own costs.