SIC Application for invalidation Section 47(1) successful – Whilst Section 72 places the onus on the applicants for invalidation, the Registrar’s tribunal may nevertheless proceed by way of a re-hearing of the basis on which the mark was accepted, using the Hearing Officer’s own knowledge and experience. – This was one of two related actions against this registration (see also BL O/173/02). Having examined the prima facie case against the mark the Hearing Officer concluded that it comprised ‘two obvious and highly descriptive elements conjoined and that in its totality the mark may serve in normal usage from a customer’s point of view to designate the kind of goods concerned (greetings cards incorporating compact discs) in a natural way.’
The mark therefore did not meet the requirements of Section 3(1)(c) of the Act and thus failed also under Section 3(1)(b).
The Hearing Officer went on to consider the matter under the proviso to Section 3(1). He concluded, however, that the evidence filed did not show that the mark had acquired a distinctive character either before registration or since. The application for invalidation under Section 47(1) therefore succeeded by virtue of Sections 3(1)(b) and (c) of the Act.
He did not go on to consider the matter under the other grounds cited.
Judges:
Mr J MacGillivray
Citations:
[2002] UKIntelP o17202
Links:
Cited by:
See Also – CD Card (Trade Mark: Invalidity) O17302 IPO 19-Apr-2002
Application for invalidation Section 47(1) successful. Application for revocation, no formal finding. Whilst Section 72 places the onus on the applicants for invalidation, the Registrar’s tribunal may nevertheless proceed by way of a re-hearing on . .
Lists of cited by and citing cases may be incomplete.
Intellectual Property
Updated: 15 October 2022; Ref: scu.455054