Nike Innovate v EUIPO - Puma (FOOTWARE)

JUDGMENT OF THE GENERAL COURT (First Chamber)12 June 2024 (*)(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark FOOTWARE – Absolute ground for invalidity – Descriptiveness – Article 7(1)(c) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Admissibility of new evidence – Article 95(1) and (2) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Article 27(4) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625)In Case T‑130/23,Nike Innovate CV, established in Beaverton, Oregon (United States), represented by K. Sandberg, lawyer,applicant,v European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO), represented by D. Stoyanova-Valchanova, T. Klee and V. Ruzek, acting as Agents,defendant,the other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court, being Puma SE, established in Herzogenaurach (Germany), represented by M. Schunke and L. Goller, lawyers,THE GENERAL COURT (First Chamber),composed of D. Spielmann, President, M. Brkan and I. Gâlea (Rapporteur), Judges,Registrar: G. Mitrev, Administrator,having regard to the written part of the procedure,further to the hearing on 13 March 2024,gives the following Judgment 1        By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant, Nike Innovate CV, seeks the annulment and the alteration of the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 9 January 2023 (Case R 2173/2021-5) (‘the contested decision’). Background to the dispute 2        On 18 March 2020, the intervener, Puma SE, filed an...