Industrial Property Law

By derogation to the ordinary civil law on evidence, it is incumbent on the trademark proprietor whose revocation is sought to demonstrate the use of the trademark (Art. L. 716-3-1 IP Code). Evidence of genuine use, which constitutes a legal fact, may be provided by any means, and the principle that no person can create proof on their own behalf (nul ne peut se constituer une preuve à soi-même) do …

Proof of genuine use

By derogation to the ordinary civil law on evidence, it is incumbent on the trademark proprietor whose revocation is sought to demonstrate the use of the trademark (Art. L. 716-3-1 IP Code). Evidence of genuine use, which constitutes a legal fact, may be provided by any means, and the principle that no person can create proof on their own behalf (nul ne peut se constituer une preuve à soi-même) does not apply . Evidence of genuine use may be provided, inter alia, by the production of advertising documents or materials , purchase orders , accounting documents , invoices , bailiff's reports , marketing certificates and sales catalogues , or a sworn statement from the trademark proprietor .

The trial courts must determine in what way the documents provided justify genuine use of the trademark subject to revocation , based on all the facts and circumstances that can establish the reality of the commercial exploitation of the trademark . The genuine use of a trademark is established, for a magazine, when the average number of visitors having accessed the website shows that the online distribution is likely to ensure the influence of the product, the resumption of use being corroborated by the exploitation of the magazine in paper format , for real estate services, when the consumer who connects to its website does not do so without reason and uses the trademark as an identifier of the services, as opposed to those offered by its competitors , for jewelry, because of the extent and frequency of the infringements of the mark and its exceptional renown  or for printing and stationery products, when the promotional materials, packaging and products useful for packaging actually covered by the mark are themselves products intended to be used as such by purchasers of products used to package them . On the other hand, the mere level of revenue generated by the sale of products bearing the trademark  or the invoices produced that are not accompanied by documents attesting to the use of the name in the relationship with customers, such as order forms, catalogs, samples or photographs of the product that could be used as evidence of the use of the trademark, do not constitute genuine use of the trademark for perfumes . For clothing, the fact that the public is only aware that the company operates a store in London  or for shoes, the use of a term on invoices without it being possible to determine the trademark affixed to the products purchased or sold by the undertaking in question do not constitute genuine use .

Cass. com, 5 July 2017, LawLex202200000388JBJ.

Cass. com, 16 February 2016, LawLex202200000450JBJ; Cass. com, 21 February 2012, LawLex202200000523JBJ; CA Paris, 11 October 2000, LawLex200200000730JBJ; CA Paris, 2 February 2011, LawLex201100000349JBJ.

Cass. com, 6 December 2017, LawLex201700002051JBJ.

Cass. com, 14 April 2021, LawLex202100001616JBJ.

CA Paris, 6 June 1991, LawLex202100005360JBJ.

CA Paris, 16 May 2014, LawLex201400002001JBJ.

Cass, 3e ch. civ, 3 March 2015, LawLex202200000385JBJ.

Cass. com, 15 September 2015, LawLex202200000448JBJ.

Cass. com, 20 March 2012, LawLex202200000521JBJ.

Cass. com, 20 November 2012, LawLex202200000260JBJ.

Cass. com, 3 June 2014, LawLex202200000384JBJ; CA Paris, 11 September 2006, No 04/22251; CA Paris, 11 October 2000, LawLex200200000730JBJ.

Cass. com, 3 June 2014, LawLex202200000384JBJ.

Cass. com, 9 March 2010, LawLex202200000439JBJ; CA Paris, 27 September 2006, No 04/22251; CA Paris, 2 February 2011, LawLex201100000349JBJ.

Cass. com, 9 March 2010, LawLex202200000439JBJ.

Cass. com, 8 November 2017, LawLex201700001823JBJ.

Cass. com. 10 November 2021, LawLex202100005869JBJ.

Cass. com, 16 February 2016, LawLex202200000450JBJ.

Industrial Property Law

191. Proof of genuine use

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Les notions juridiques connexes

191. Proof of genuine use

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Les décisions de justice citées dans ce paragraphe :

Les notions juridiques connexes

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au contenu exclusif Livv – juristes d’entreprise