Judgment of the Court (First Chamber) of 15 January 2009 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Oberster Patent- und Markensenat — Austria) — Silberquelle GmbH v Maselli Strickmode GmbH

(Case C-495/07) (1)

(Trade marks - Directive 89/104/EEC - Articles 10 and 12 - Revocation - Concept of ‘genuine use’ of a mark - Affixing the mark to promotional items - Distribution of such items free of charge to the purchasers of goods sold by the mark's proprietor)

(2009/C 55/04)

Language of the case: German

Referring court

Oberster Patent- und Markensenat

Parties to the main proceedings

Applicant: Silberquelle GmbH

Defendant: Maselli Strickmode GmbH

Re:

Reference for a preliminary ruling — Oberster Patent- und Markensenat — Interpretation of Articles 10(1) and 12(1) of the First Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks (OJ 1989 L 40, p. 1) — Revocation of the rights of the proprietor of the trade mark — Concept of genuine use of the trade mark — Goods (non-alcoholic drink) being given out as free gifts on the occasion of the sale of other goods (textiles)

Operative part of the judgment

Articles 10(1) and 12(1) of First Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks must be interpreted as meaning that, where the proprietor of a mark affixes that mark to items that it gives, free of charge, to purchasers of its goods, it does not make genuine use of that mark in respect of the class covering those items.

(1)  OJ C 22, 26.1.2008.