Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 25 January 2018 — SilverTours v EUIPO (billiger-mietwagen.de)

(Case T‑866/16)

(EU trade mark — Application for the EU word mark billiger-mietwagen.de — Absolute ground for refusal — Descriptiveness — Lack of distinctive character — Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Examination of the facts of the Office’s own motion — Duty of diligence

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76(1))

(see paras 14, 15)

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 — Aim — Need to preserve availability

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

(see para. 32)

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 — Criteria

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

(see paras 33-36)

4.      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 — Word mark billiger-mietwagen.de

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

(see paras 37-39, 49, 50)

5.      Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Similar requirements for submissions made in support of a plea

(Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para. and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))

(see para. 47)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 3 November 2016 (Case R 206/2016-5), concerning an application for registration of the word sign billiger-mietwagen.de as an EU trade mark.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders SilverTours GmbH to pay the costs.