• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
+49 (0) 69 / 606 278 – 0
[email protected]
Contact form
Patent- & Rechtsanwaltskanzlei

Patent- & Rechtsanwaltskanzlei

  • Deutsch

+49 (0) 69 / 606 278 – 0

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • xing
  • Email
MENUMENU
  • Services
    • Advice On Protective IP Rights
    • Patent Application /TM Registration
    • Enforcement Of IP Rights
    • Defence Against IP Rights Enforcement
    • Costs
  • Company
    • Fields of Law
      • Patent Law
      • Utility Model Law
      • Employees‘ Inventions
      • Trademark Law
      • Design Law
      • Trademark and Product Piracy
      • Expert Opinions
    • Our Law Firm
      • Dr. Karl-Hermann Meyer-Dulheuer
      • Dr. Tim Meyer-Dulheuer
      • Dr. Klaus Zimmermann
      • Zhichao Ying
      • Dr. Christoph Hölscher
    • Commitment
  • Contact
    • Where To Find Us
    • Write us!
    • Request call back
  • Blog

Rubik’s Cube as a 3D-Trademark: Legit or not?

17. June 2016

The EU trade mark representing the shape of a Rubik’s Cube must be declared invalid, according to the Opinion of the European Court of Justice’ Advocate-General. 

Photo-of-Rubiks-Cube-3In Case C-30/15 P, Advocate General (AG) Maciej Szpunar, has recently handed down his opinion arguing that the 3D mark representing the shape of the Rubik’s Cube is not eligible for trade mark protection. The AG’s Opinion raises some interesting points concerning the type of information that may be taken into account when considering the functionality of a trade mark.

The Rubik’s Cube can be described as a brain-teaser, in which the movable elements can be rotated with the goal of allocating them so that each of the cube’s sides only has one colour. The toy was invented in the 1970s and subsequently protected by a patent.

 

Rubik’s Cube: 3D-Trademark protection legit or not?

In 1996, the British company Seven Towns successfully applied for the shape of the Rubik’s Cube as a three-dimensional EU trade mark in respect of “three-dimensional puzzles“.

In 2006 the German toy manufacturer Simba Toys applied to have the 3-D mark cancelled, particularly on the grounds that it contained a technical solution within the meaning of Article 7(1)(e)(ii) EU Trade Mark Regulation (EUTMR). Under this provision it may be protected only by patent and not as a trade mark.

Both the Cancellation Division and the Board of Appeal of the EUIPO rejected the cancellation request, claiming that the above requirements were not met. The General Court (GC) confirmed this finding. In the Court’s view, the essential characteristics of the contested sign (i.e., the shape of the cube as such and the grid structure) did not imply any technical solution. The Court argued that no consideration should be given to the well-known rotating capability of the Rubik’s Cube puzzle. In other words, the functionality should not ‘illegitimately’ be read back into the graphical representation of the mark. Rather, the assessment of the mark’s alleged functionality had to be based only on the examination of the representation of the mark as filed. Consequently, the GC dismissed Simba’s action.

Photo-of-Rubiks-Cube-2

Is there still a chance for Simba Toys?

But following the AG’s Opinion, Simba might just be back in the game: AG Szpunar stated that the GC’s reasoning was not in line with the public interest underlying Article 7(1)(e)(ii) EUTMR, which lies in keeping within the public domain the essential characteristics of particular goods which are reflected in their shape.

Restricting the assessment of the functionality of a trade mark to its graphic representation might undermine this public interest, said the AG. Therefore, when analysing the functional elements of a shape, the competent authority also had to take account of other relevant information.

 

If you want to read even more, please check out Marques.org! 🙂

 

Do you want to apply for a (3D) Trade Mark or are there questions left?

Then please do not hesitate to ask us! We offer counselling on all matters of trademark, patents, design law, IP infringement and employee’s inventions.

CAT-call_en

 

Sources: Press Release Curia.Europa.eu / Marques.org / eubusiness.com

  • share  
  • share 
  • share 
  • tweet 
  • share 

Category iconPatent Law,  Trademark Law Tag iconPatent,  European Court of Justice

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. binarybook scam says

    9. July 2020 at 14:03

    Thanks

    Reply
  2. Adrian Willson says

    11. July 2020 at 7:32

    Nice Information

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

More articles about: Patent Law

All articles

Blog Menu

  • Design Law
  • Healthcare & Lifesciences
  • International Intellectual Property
  • Licenses
  • News from our law firm
  • Overall
  • Patent Law
  • Product- and Trademark piracy
  • Trademark Law

Recent Posts

  • BPatG: Patent claim of cancer drug on active substance as salt 7. March 2022
  • Grant for European IP Protection: SME Fund 2022 4. March 2022
  • CODE-X vs. Cody’s: Likelihood of confusion in drinks? 25. February 2022
  • EOS lip balm no 3D trademark – appeal before ECJ not admissible 24. February 2022

Fields of Law

  • Patent Law
  • Utility Model Law
  • Employees’ Inventions
  • Trademark Law
  • Design Law
  • Trademark and Product Piracy
  • Expert Opinions
  • Costs

Das könnte Sie auch interessieren:

4. March 2022
Grant for European IP Protection: SME Fund 2022

Grant for European IP Protection: SME Fund 2022

25. February 2022
CODE-X vs. Cody’s: Likelihood of confusion in drinks?

CODE-X vs. Cody’s: Likelihood of confusion in drinks?

24. February 2022
EOS lip balm no 3D trademark – appeal before ECJ not admissible

EOS lip balm no 3D trademark – appeal before ECJ not admissible

22. February 2022
PAP is in force: UPC possible in 2022

PAP is in force: UPC possible in 2022

21. February 2022
CFI: Pumpkin seed oil + PGI symbol

CFI: Pumpkin seed oil + PGI symbol

15. February 2022
SPOTIFY v POTIFY – a ‘pot’ app

SPOTIFY v POTIFY – a ‘pot’ app

Contact us or request a call back

+49 (0) 69 / 606 278 – 0
[email protected]
Request a call back

Footer

Contact

Torhaus Westhafen
Speicherstrasse 59
D – 60327 Frankfurt am Main
Deutschland
+49 (0) 69 / 606 278 – 0
+49 (0) 69 / 606 278 – 199
[email protected]

Office Hours
Moday – Friday:   08:00-18:00

Fields of Law

  • Patent Law
  • Utility Model Law
  • Employees’ Inventions
  • Trademark Law
  • Design Law
  • Trademark and Product Piracy
  • Expert Opinions
  • Costs

Law Firm

  • Request non-binding call back
  • Company
  • Our Law Firm
  • ISO Certificate
  • Privacy Policy
  • Data handling for clients
  • Imprint

Follow Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • LinkedIn
  • xing
  • Email

Newsletter Signup

© Patent- & Rechtsanwaltskanzlei Meyer-Dulheuer MD Legal Patentanwälte PartG mbB

Contact Form

 

Give us a call, send us an email or fill out the contact form.

+49 (0) 69 / 606 278 – 0
[email protected]

Kontaktformular

 

Rufen Sie uns an, schicken Sie uns eine Mail oder füllen Sie das Kontaktformular aus.

+49 (0) 69 / 606 278 – 0
[email protected]