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PARALLEL TEXTS
Il Tribunale conferma che al produttore di pupazzi di peluche tedesco Steiff non può essere riconosciuta la tutela come marchio comunitario dell’applicazione all’orecchio di un pupazzo di peluche di un bottone o di un’etichetta mediante un bottone
Inglese tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-14-5_en.htm
Italiano tratto da:
http://europa.eu/rapid/press-release_CJE-14-5_it.htm
Data documento: 16-01-2014
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The General Court confirms that Steiff, the German soft toy manufacturer, is not entitled to a Community trade mark for the attachment of a button or a label attached by means of a button to the ear of a soft toy
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Il Tribunale conferma che al produttore di pupazzi di peluche tedesco Steiff non può essere riconosciuta la tutela come marchio comunitario dell’applicazione all’orecchio di un pupazzo di peluche di un bottone o di un’etichetta mediante un bottone
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The distinctive character of that attachment is lacking because, in itself, it does not enable the average European consumer to recognise the commercial origin of the soft toy
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Tale applicazione è priva di carattere distintivo in quanto di per sé non consente al consumatore medio europeo di riconoscere l’origine commerciale del pupazzo di peluche
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In 2010, Steiff, the German soft toy manufacturer, asked the Community trade mark office (OHIM) for the registration as Community trade marks of the following ‘positional’ mark:
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Nel 2010 il produttore di pupazzi di peluche tedesco Steiff ha chiesto all’Ufficio dei marchi comunitari (UAMI) la registrazione come marchi comunitari dei seguenti marchi «di posizione»:
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Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED
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Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED
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Steiff thereby requested protection – in the sense of an exclusive right – at EU level for the attachment of a metal button, shiny or mat, fixed to the middle of the ear of any soft toy with ears, and for the attachment of a fabric label in an elongated rectangular shape with such a button.
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La Steiff rivendicava in tal modo una tutela - intesa come diritto esclusivo - a livello dell’Unione europea per l’applicazione di un bottone in metallo rotondo, lucido o opaco, fissato al centro dell’orecchio di un qualsiasi animale di peluche dotato di orecchie, e per l’applicazione di un’etichetta in tessuto rettangolare di forma allungata mediante un siffatto bottone.
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The protection is not being sought for the illustrations set out above, nor for the button or the label attached by means of the button as such, but only for the position of the attachment of a button and the label by means of such a button in the middle of the ear of such soft toys.
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La tutela non è stata chiesta né per le illustrazioni sopra riprodotte né per il bottone o l’etichetta fissata mediante un bottone in quanti tali, bensì unicamente per l’applicazione del bottone e dell’etichetta mediante un siffatto bottone al centro dell’orecchio del pupazzo di peluche.
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OHIM has rejected Steiff’s requests, holding that the marks applied for were devoid of distinctive character: they did not enable consumers to recognise the commercial origin of the products, that is to say that the product is a Steiff soft toy and not the soft toy of another manufacturer.
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L’UAMI ha respinto le domande della Steiff ritenendo che i marchi richiesti fossero privi di carattere distintivo: essi non consentirebbero ai consumatori di riconoscere l’origine commerciale dei prodotti, vale a dire che si tratta di un pupazzo di peluche Steiff e non di quello di un altro produttore.
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Steiff challenged OHIM’s decisions before the General Court, claiming that OHIM had wrongly held that the marks applied for were devoid of distinctive character.
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La Steiff ha impugnato dinanzi al Tribunale le decisioni di rigetto dell’UAMI, adducendo che l’UAMI ha erroneamente ritenuto che i marchi richiesti fossero privi di carattere distintivo.
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By its judgments today, the General Court dismisses Steiff’s actions.
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Con le sentenze odierne il Tribunale respinge i ricorsi della Steiff.
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According to the General Court, the marks applied for do not have the minimum degree of distinctive character necessary to be registered as Community trade marks.
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A giudizio del Tribunale, i marchi richiesti non presentano il carattere distintivo minimo, necessario per poter essere registrati come marchi comunitari.
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The General Court observes, first of all, that the marks applied for are indissociable from one of the possible aspects of soft toys.
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Il Tribunale constata, anzitutto, che i marchi richiesti si confondono con uno dei possibili aspetti dei pupazzi di peluche.
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As ‘positional marks’ they are necessarily indissociable from the appearance of the soft toys, since, without the fixation of the button and the label at a precise point, they do not exist.
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Infatti, essendo «marchi di posizione», essi si confondono inevitabilmente con l’aspetto dei pupazzi di peluche, dal momento che, se il bottone e l’etichetta non fossero saldamente attaccati in un punto preciso, non esisterebbero.
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Moreover, buttons and small labels constitute one of the normal component parts of soft toys.
On the other hand consumers are used to a very great diversity in those products, their designs and possible configuration.
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Inoltre, bottoni e piccole etichette costituiscono elementi frequenti della configurazione dei pupazzi di peluche. Poiché i consumatori sono abituati a una grandissima varietà di tali prodotti, dei loro modelli e delle loro possibili configurazioni.
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Their fixation to the ear, which is a common combination, will be perceived by consumers as a decorative element, or even as a functional one (as regards the mark applied for it also consists of the label), and cannot be regarded as exceptional.
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La loro applicazione all’orecchio, creando di fatto una combinazione banale, che sarà percepita dai consumatori come un elemento decorativo, o anche funzionale (per quanto riguarda il marchio richiesto, nella versione contenente anche l’etichetta), non può essere considerata eccezionale.
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That configuration will be perceived by consumers as a variation of the possible fixation of a button or of the label and the button on other parts of the same products or even a variation of other possible decorations attached to their ears.
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Tale configurazione sarà percepita dai consumatori soltanto come una delle possibili varianti delle applicazioni del bottone, o dell’etichetta e del bottone, su altre parti di tali medesimi prodotti, oppure una variante di altre eventuali decorazioni fissate alle loro orecchie.
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Therefore, consumers cannot presume it to be an indication of commercial origin.
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Pertanto, il consumatore non può presumerne l’indicazione di un’origine commerciale.
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For those very reasons, the fact that Steiff may be the sole manufacturer to attach a shiny or mat round metal button to the ears of soft toys or a fabric label in the form of an elongated rectangle in the middle of the ear of soft toys by means of a button is irrelevant.
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Per gli stessi motivi, è irrilevante il fatto che la Steiff possa essere l’unico produttore ad attaccare bottoni in metallo rotondi, lucidi o opachi, sulle orecchie dei pupazzi di peluche o un’etichetta in tessuto rettangolare di forma allungata al centro dell’orecchio dei pupazzi di peluche mediante un siffatto bottone.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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An appeal, limited to points of law only, may be brought before the Court of Justice against the decision of the General Court within two months of notification of the decision.
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Contro la decisione del Tribunale, entro due mesi a decorrere dalla data della sua notifica, può essere proposta un'impugnazione, limitata alle questioni di diritto, dinanzi alla Corte.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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An action for annulment seeks the annulment of acts of the institutions of the European Union that are contrary to European Union law.
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Il ricorso di annullamento mira a far annullare atti delle istituzioni dell’Unione contrari al diritto dell’Unione.
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The Member States, the European institutions and individuals may, under certain conditions, bring an action for annulment before the Court of Justice or the General Court.
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A determinate condizioni, gli Stati membri, le istituzioni europee e i privati possono investire la Corte di giustizia o il Tribunale di un ricorso di annullamento.
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If the action is well founded, the act is annulled.
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Se il ricorso è fondato, l'atto viene annullato.
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The institution concerned must fill any legal vacuum created by the annulment of the act.
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L'istituzione interessata deve rimediare all’eventuale lacuna giuridica creata dall’annullamento dell’atto.
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NOTE:
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IMPORTANTE:
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Community trade marks are valid throughout the European Union and co-exist with national trade marks.
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Il marchio comunitario è valido su tutto il territorio dell'Unione europea e coesiste con i marchi nazionali.
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Applications for registration of a Community trade mark are sent to OHIM. Actions against its decisions may be brought before the General Court.
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Le domande di registrazione di un marchio comunitario sono indirizzate all’UAMI, avverso le decisioni del quale può essere proposta impugnazione dinanzi al Tribunale. |
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LISTEN WITH READSPEAKER
The General Court confirms that Steiff, the German soft toy manufacturer,
is not entitled to a Community trade mark for the attachment of a button or a
label attached by means of a button to the ear of a soft toy
The distinctive character of that attachment is lacking because, in
itself, it does not enable the average European consumer to recognise the
commercial origin of the soft toy
In 2010, Steiff, the German soft toy manufacturer, asked the Community trade
mark office (OHIM) for the registration as Community trade marks of the
following ‘positional’ mark:
Figures and graphics available in PDF and WORD PROCESSED
Steiff thereby requested protection – in the sense of an exclusive right – at
EU level for the attachment of a metal button, shiny or mat, fixed to the middle
of the ear of any soft toy with ears, and for the attachment of a fabric label
in an elongated rectangular shape with such a button.
The protection is not being sought for the illustrations set out above, nor
for the button or the label attached by means of the button as such, but only
for the position of the attachment of a button and the label by means of such a
button in the middle of the ear of such soft toys.
OHIM has rejected Steiff’s requests, holding that the marks applied for were
devoid of distinctive character: they did not enable consumers to recognise the
commercial origin of the products, that is to say that the product is a Steiff
soft toy and not the soft toy of another manufacturer.
Steiff challenged OHIM’s decisions before the General Court, claiming that
OHIM had wrongly held that the marks applied for were devoid of distinctive
character.
By its judgments today, the General Court dismisses Steiff’s actions.
According to the General Court, the marks applied for do not have the minimum
degree of distinctive character necessary to be registered as Community trade
marks.
The General Court observes, first of all, that the marks applied for are
indissociable from one of the possible aspects of soft toys.
As ‘positional marks’ they are necessarily indissociable from the appearance
of the soft toys, since, without the fixation of the button and the label at a
precise point, they do not exist.
Moreover, buttons and small labels constitute one of the normal component
parts of soft toys. On the other hand consumers are used to a very great
diversity in those products, their designs and possible configuration.
Their fixation to the ear, which is a common combination, will be perceived
by consumers as a decorative element, or even as a functional one (as regards
the mark applied for it also consists of the label), and cannot be regarded as
exceptional.
That configuration will be perceived by consumers as a variation of the
possible fixation of a button or of the label and the button on other parts of
the same products or even a variation of other possible decorations attached to
their ears.
Therefore, consumers cannot presume it to be an indication of commercial
origin.
For those very reasons, the fact that Steiff may be the sole manufacturer to
attach a shiny or mat round metal button to the ears of soft toys or a fabric
label in the form of an elongated rectangle in the middle of the ear of soft
toys by means of a button is irrelevant.
NOTE:
An appeal, limited to points of law only, may be brought before the Court of
Justice against the decision of the General Court within two months of
notification of the decision.
NOTE:
An action for annulment seeks the annulment of acts of the institutions of
the European Union that are contrary to European Union law.
The Member States, the European institutions and individuals may, under
certain conditions, bring an action for annulment before the Court of Justice or
the General Court.
If the action is well founded, the act is annulled.
The institution concerned must fill any legal vacuum created by the annulment
of the act.
NOTE:
Community trade marks are valid throughout the European Union and co-exist
with national trade marks.
Applications for registration of a Community trade mark are sent to OHIM.
Actions against its decisions may be brought before the General Court.
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