CANCELLATION No 14701 C (REVOCATION)

Azienda Agricola Vastola Francesco, Via Tempa Di Lepre, 33; 84047 Capaccio-Paestum, Italy, (applicant), represented by Studio Legale Casucci, Circonvallazione Raggio di Sole, 9, 37122 Verona, Italy (professional representative).

a g a i n s t

Aida Cruises – German Branch of Costa Crociere S.p.A., Am Strande 3d, 18055 Rostock; Germany, (EUTM proprietor), represented by Dompatent von Kreisler Selting Werner –  Partnerschaft von Patentanwälten und Rechtsanwälten mbB, Deichmannhaus am Dom, Bahnhofsvorplatz 1, 3011 50667 Köln, Germany (professional representative).

On 28/09/2017, the Cancellation Division takes the following

DECISION

1.        The application for revocation is upheld.

2.        The EUTM proprietor’s rights in respect of European Union trade mark No 3 947 694 are revoked partially as from 28/03/2017.

3.        The EUTM proprietor bears the costs, fixed at EUR 1080.

REASONS

The applicant filed a request for revocation of European Union trade mark No 3 947 694 ‘AIDA Cruises’ (word mark) (the EUTM). The request is directed against part of the goods and services covered by the EUTM, namely:

Class 3        Articles for body and beauty-care

Class 12        Vehicles; apparatus for locomotion for land, air or water.

Class 16        Printed matter, photographs, paper, cardboard and goods made from these materials, included in class 16, stationery, artists' materials; teaching materials (except apparatus).

Class 18        Trunks and travelling bags; umbrellas, parasols and walking sticks.

Class 25        Clothing, footwear, headgear.

Class 28        Games and playthings; gymnastic and sporting articles (included in class 28); game cards.

Class 30        Coffee, tea, cocoa, chocolate, pastry, cakes, bread, edible ices, honey, muesli, pizzas, blancmanges, rusks.

Class 32        Non-alcoholic beverages and fruit extracts, beer.

Class 33        Alcoholic beverages (except beers).

Class 41        Education; providing of training; entertainment; sporting and cultural activities; translations.

Class 42        Weather forecasting.

Class 44        Manicure services, beauty salon services, massage services; services provided by a florist.

        

The applicant invoked Article 51(1)(a) EUTMR.

GROUNDS FOR THE DECISION

According to Article 51(1)(a) EUTMR, the rights of the proprietor of the European Union trade mark will be revoked on application to the Office, if, within a continuous period of five years, the trade mark has not been put to genuine use in the Union for the goods or services for which it is registered, and there are no proper reasons for non-use.

In revocation proceedings based on the grounds of non-use, the burden of proof lies with the EUTM proprietor as the applicant cannot be expected to prove a negative fact, namely that the mark has not been used during a continuous period of five years. Therefore, it is the EUTM proprietor who must prove genuine use within the European Union or submit proper reasons for non-use.

In the present case the EUTM was registered on 09/09/2008. The revocation request was filed on 28/03/2017. Therefore, the EUTM had been registered for more than five years at the date of the filing of the request.

On 04/07/2017, the Cancellation Division duly notified the EUTM proprietor of the application for revocation and gave it a time limit of three months to submit evidence of use of the EUTM for part of the goods and services for which it is registered. On 04/07/2017 the EUTM proprietor requested an extension of the time limit. On 05/07/2017 the Cancellation Division confirmed that the time limit had been extended. This time limit expired on 09/09/2017.

The EUTM proprietor did not submit any observations or evidence of use in reply to the application for revocation within the time limit.

According to Rule 40(5) EUTMIR, if the proprietor of the European Union trade mark does not provide proof of genuine use of the contested mark within the time limit set by the Office, the European Union trade mark will be revoked.

In the absence of any reply from the EUTM proprietor, there is neither any evidence that the EUTM has been genuinely used in the European Union for part of the goods and services for which it is registered nor any indications of proper reasons for non-use.

Pursuant to Article 55(1) EUTMR, the EUTM must be deemed not to have had, as from the date of the application for revocation, the effects specified in the EUTMR, to the extent that the proprietor’s rights have been revoked.  An earlier date, on which one of the grounds for revocation occurred, may be fixed at the request of one of the parties. In the present case, the applicant has requested an earlier date. However, in exercising its discretion in this regard, the Cancellation Division considers that it is not expedient in this case to grant this request, since the applicant has not proven sufficient legal interest in support of its request.

Consequently, the EUTM proprietor’s rights must be partially revoked and deemed not to have had any effects as from 28/03/2017.

COSTS

According to Article 85(1) EUTMR, the losing party in cancellation proceedings must bear the fees and costs incurred by the other party.

Since the EUTM proprietor is the losing party, it must bear the cancellation fee as well as the costs incurred by the applicant in the course of these proceedings.

According to Rule 94(3) and (6) EUTMIR and Rule 94(7)(d)(iii) EUTMIR, the costs to be paid to the applicant are the cancellation fee and the costs of representation, which are to be fixed on the basis of the maximum rate set therein.

The Cancellation Division

Raphaël MICHE

Isabel ARRANZ ESTAUN

Jose Antonio GARRIDO OTAOLA

According to Article 59 EUTMR, any party adversely affected by this decision has a right to appeal against this decision. According to Article 60 EUTMR, notice of appeal must be filed in writing at the Office within two months of the date of notification of this decision. It must be filed in the language of the proceedings in which the decision subject to appeal was taken. Furthermore, a written statement of the grounds of appeal must be filed within four months of the same date. The notice of appeal will be deemed to be filed only when the appeal fee of EUR 720 has been paid.

The amount determined in the fixation of the costs may only be reviewed by a decision of the Cancellation Division on request. According to Rule 94(4) EUTMIR, such a request must be filed within one month of the date of notification of this fixation of costs and will be deemed to be filed only when the review fee of EUR 100 has been paid (Annex 1 A(33) EUTMR).