Avrupa Marka Hukukunun Çözümlenemeyen Meselesi: Çifte Ayniyet Kuralı -İspat Yükü Sorunu-

Son on yılda, Avrupa marka hukukunda önemli bir gelişme görülmektedir. ABAD çifte ayniyet kuralı altındaki korumayı, marka sahipleri tarafından yaratılan “marka imajı”’nın satış gücü ile ilgili olan, markanın diğer fonksiyonlarını da himaye altına almak için genişletmiştir. Fakat çifte ayniyet kuralı geleneksel olarak sadece markanın menşei gösterme fonksiyonunu korumak için tayin edilmiştir ve bundan dolayı çifte ayniyet kuralı altında sunulan koruma mutlaktır. ABAD’ın içtihat hukuku ise çifte ayniyet kuralı altındaki korumayı markanın diğer fonksiyonlarını da kapsayacak şekilde genişletmiştir. Bu sebeple, ABAD’ın yeni yaklaşımı mutlak koruma prensibini alt üst etmiştir. Çifte ayniyet kuralındaki ispat yükü, çifte ayniyet kuralı altındaki korumanın genişletilmesinin bir sonucu, sorun olarak ortaya çıkmıştır. Bu makalede yazar çifte ayniyet kuralı altında devam eden gelişmeleri, özellikle yakın zamanda baş gösteren ispat yükü sorunu açısından, Avrupa mevzuatı ve ABAD içtihat hukuku ışığında ele alacaktır.

Anahtar Kelimeler:

Marka, Marka Hukuku, ABAD İçtihat Hukuku, Çifte Ayniyet Kuralı, İspat Yükü

Unsettled Matter of European Trade Mark Law: Double Identity Rule -Burden of Proof Issue-

In the last decade, there has been a crucial development under the European trade mark law. The CJEU expanded the scope of protection under the double identity rule in order to safeguard the further functions of trade mark which are related to the selling power of the “brand image” created by trade mark owners. However, the double identity rule was traditionally designated to protect merely the origin function of trade mark and therefore the protection provided under the double identity rule was absolute. The CJEU’s case law broadened the scope of the protection under the double identity rule to cover the further functions that a trade mark performs. Therefore, the CJEU’s recent approach turned the principle of “absolute protection” upside down. The “burden of the proof” under the double identity rule appeared as an issue as the result of the broader protection under the double identity rule. In this paper, the author aims to examine the ongoing developments as to the double identity rule in the light of the European legislation and the CJEU’s case law; in particular from the point of the “burden of the proof” issue which has appeared recently.

Keywords:

Trade Mark, Trade Mark Law, The CJEU's Case Law, Double Identity Rule, Burden of Proof,

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