With the prohibition of descriptive indications under Art. 4 I lit. c TMD, Art. 7 I lit. c EUTMR or Section 8 II No. 2 MarkenG, signs or indications which may serve in trade to designate the characteristics of the claimed products are, by their nature, considered unsuitable to fulfil the trade mark's function of indicating origin.[1] The ground for refusal pursues the objective, which is in the public interest, that signs or indications which describe the groups of goods or services for which registration is sought can be freely used by all. This is because such descriptive indications are not intended to be monopolised and the public does not expect a monopolisation and thus not an indication of origin. The provision therefore does not allow such signs or indications, subject to obtaining a distinctive character through use[2], to be reserved to a single undertaking by registering them as a trade mark.[3] By way of example and not exhaustively,[4] the ground for refusal mentions the nature, quality, quantity, intended purpose, value, geographical origin, time of manufacture of the goods or of provision of the services as potentially descriptive characteristics of the products.
For example, the former official professional title 'master builder' may not be monopolised by a company registering the trade mark 'BAUMEISTER-HAUS' for prefabricated houses. s, persons who are still allowed to use the professional title today would be prevented from doing so by the trade mark.[5] Even if, for example, the term 'dry' for 'wines' could be monopolised as a trade mark, third parties would no longer be able to describe dry wines. This is what the ground for refusal seeks to prevent. The fact that, under certain circumstances, the use of descriptive terms can be prevented from the outset. n descriptive use is exempted by the provisions on limitations[6] is not sufficient to protect competitors and is therefore not decisive.[7]
Footnotes
CJEU C-383/99 P v. 20.9.2001 Baby-dry, para. 37; GC C-191/01 P of 23.10.2003 Doublemint, para. 30; GC C-326/01 P of 5.2.2004 Universaltelefonbuch/Universalkommunikationsverzeichnis, para. 26; GC C-150/02 P of 5.2.2004 Streamserve, para. 24; GC T-163/98 of 8.7.1999 BABY-DRY, para. 23; GC T- 193/99 of 31 January 2001 DOUBLEMINT, ref. 20; GC T-331/99 of 31 January 2001 Giroform, ref. 21; GC T-87/00 of 5 April 2001 EASYBANK, ref. 23; GC T-359/99 of 7 June 2001 EuroHealth, ref. 22.
↩See below Section 4.4.4.
↩CJEU C-108/97 and C-109/97 v. 4.5.1999 Chiemsee, ref. 25; CJEU C-53/01 to C-55/01 of 8.4.2003 Linde, ref. 73 and 77; CJEU C-104/01 of 6.5.2003 Libertel, ref. 52; CJEU C-191/01 P of 23.10.2003 Doublemi nt, para. 31; CJEU C-326/01 P of 5 February 2004 Universaltelefonbuch/Universalkommunikationsverzeichnis, paras. 27 and 32; CJEU C-150/02 P of 5 February 2004 Streamserve, para. 25; CJEU C-363/99 12.2.2004 Postkantoor, para. 54 f. and 95; CJEU C-265/00 of 12.2.2004 Campina Melkunie, para. 35 f.; CJEU C-273/05 P of 19.4.2007 OHIM/Celltech, para. 75; CJEU C-90/11 and C-91/11 of 15.3.2012 Strigl, para. 31; CJEU C-139/16 of 6.7.2017 Moreno Marín, para. 23. ; also CJEU C-218/01 of 12.2.2004 Henkel, ref. 41; CJEU C-369/10 P of 14.3.2011 Ravensburger, ref. 52; CJEU C-673/15 P to C-676/15 P of 20.9.2017 The Tea Board, ref. 59; CJEU C-488/16 P of 6.9.2018 Bundesverband Souvenir - Geschenke - Ehrenpreise, ref. 36; CJEU C-62/16 P of 6.9.2018 Bundesverband Souvenir - Geschenke - Ehrenpreise, ref. 36; CJEU C-62/16 P of 6.9.2018 Bundesverband Souvenir - Geschenke - Ehrenpreise, ref. 36. 9/17 v. 6.12.2018 J. Portugal Ramos Vinhos, para. 16; this also applies to the combination of descriptive terms, as these already have a deterrent effect: GC T-230/05 v. 6.3.2007 GOLF USA, para. 32 f.
↩CJEU C-126/13 P v. 10.7.2014 BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte , ref. 20, with further references; CJEU C-629/17 of 6 December 2018 J. Portugal Ramos Vinhos, ref. 18 5] BGH GRUR 2001, 732, 733 f. BAUMEISTER-HAUS.
↩See below Section 15.
↩CJEU C-108/97 and C-109/97 of 4.5.19 99 Chiemsee, para. 28; GC C-404/02 of 16 September 2004 Nichols, para. 32 f.; GC T-359/99 of 7 June 2001 EuroHealth, para. 28; GC T-295/01 of 15 October 2003 OLDENBURGER, paras. 55-57; see also BGH GRUR 2000, 882, 883 Bücher für eine bessere Welt.
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