Reckitt Benckiser Group PLC has lost its appeal to register the "Botanical Origin" wording as a trademark for the company's household and commercial cleaning products.
The European Union Intellectual Property Office, or EUIPO, on Aug. 13 upheld its previous decision on Feb. 20 to deny Reckitt Benckiser the rights to register Botanical Origin as a trademark. At the time, the EUIPO said the trademark applied for "is descriptive and devoid of any distinctive character."
Most recently, the office reiterated its statement, saying the word mark "designates the origin and composition of the goods in question."
"The relevant public will, immediately and without further reflection, understand the sign as providing the information that the goods come from a botanical source and/or contain ingredients that have a plant-based origin," the EUIPO said in its latest 15-page ruling.
The European Union trademark regulation stipulates that "trade marks which are devoid of any distinctive character are not to be registered."
The EUIPO dismissed the British household-products maker's appeal, describing it as "unfounded."
Reckitt Benckiser did not immediately respond to S&P Global Market Intelligence's request for comment.
