Judgment of the General Court of 22 September 2021 – Henry Cotton’s Brand Management v EUIPO – Industries Sportswear (Henry Cotton’s)

(Case T-173/20) ¹

(EU trade mark – Proceedings for the revocation of decisions or for the cancellation of entries – Cancellation of an entry in the register which contains an obvious error attributable to EUIPO – Trade marks involved in insolvency proceedings – Registration of the transfers of the marks – Effects vis-à-vis third parties of bankruptcy or similar proceedings – Competence of EUIPO – Duty of diligence – Articles 20, 24, 27 and 103 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Articles 3, 7 and 19 of Regulation (EU) 2015/848)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Henry Cotton’s Brand Management Co. Ltd (Dublin, Ireland) (represented by: A. von Mühlendahl, C. Eckhartt and P. Böhner, lawyers)

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

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Industries Sportswear Co. Srl (Venice, Italy) (represented by: P. Cervato, lawyer)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 10 February 2020 (Joined Cases R 254/2019-2 and R 255/2019-2), relating to proceedings between Industries Sportswear and Henry Cotton’s Brand Management regarding the cancellation of entries in the register.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders Henry Cotton’s Brand Management Co. Ltd to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and by Industries Sportswear Co. Srl.

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¹     OJ C 191, 8.6.2020.