Brussels, 20/09/2011 (Agence Europe) - With its judgment on Tuesday 20 September in Case T-232/10, the General Court of the EU ruled that the Soviet coat of arms may not be registered as a Community trade mark as it is contrary to public policy and to accepted principles of morality in any member state of the EU. The Court, thus, upholds the rejection by OHIM, the Community trade mark office, of the application from a Russian designer for registration as a Community trade mark of a sign consisting of the coat of arms of the former USSR. The reason for the Court's decision was that this symbol is deemed to be contrary to public policy in Hungary, Latvia and the Czech Republic. The Court held that a mark must be refused registration if it is contrary to public policy or to accepted principles of morality in part of the European Union and that part may, in some circumstances, be comprised of a single member state. The concepts of “public policy” and “accepted principles of morality” must be interpreted not only with reference to the circumstances common to all member states but “by taking into account the particular circumstances of individual member states which are likely to influence the perception of the relevant public within those states”. (FG/transl.rt)