Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 9 July 2014 —
Moonich Produktkonzepte & Realisierung v OHIM — Thermofilm Australia (HEATSTRIP)

(Case T‑184/12)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community word mark HEATSTRIP — Relative ground for refusal — Article 8(3) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Articles 75 and 76 of Regulation No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Examination of the facts of the Office’s own motion — Opposition proceedings — Examination restricted to the submissions of the parties — Assessment by the Office of the materiality of the facts alleged and the probative value of the evidence adduced (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76(1)) (see para. 18)

2.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Examination of the facts of the Office’s own motion — Opposition proceedings — Examination restricted to the submissions of the parties — Well-known facts taken into account (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76(1)) (see para. 20)

3.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Decisions of the Office — Observance of the rights of the defence — Scope of the principle (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, second sentence) (see paras 35‑37)

4.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Absence of trade mark proprietor’s consent to registration applied for by an agent or representative in his own name — Agent or representative — Definition (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(3)) (see paras 58, 59)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 26 January 2012 (Case R 1956/2010-1), relating to opposition proceedings between Thermofilm Australia Pty Ltd and Moonich Produktkonzepte & Realisierung GmbH.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Moonich Produktkonzepte & Realisierung GmbH to bear its own costs and to pay the costs incurred by the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) and by Thermofilm Australia Pty Ltd.