BRUSSELS, July 9 (Reuters) - Rubik's Cube owner Spin

Master Toys UK on Wednesday lost its battle against a Greek

rival as Europe's second-highest court annulled trademarks

related to the shape of the iconic puzzle.

Invented by Hungarian professor Erno Rubik in 1974, the

multicoloured cube puzzle is popular among young and old, with

hundreds of millions sold worldwide. The brand was acquired by

Canadian children's entertainment company Spin Master ( SNMSF ) in 2021.

Spin Master ( SNMSF ) took its case to the Luxembourg-based General

Court after Greece's Verdes Innovations SA in 2013 asked the EU

trademark office to invalidate several trademarks registered by

Spin Master's ( SNMSF ) predecessor between 2008 and 2012.

The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO)

backed Verdes, saying Rubik's Cube trademarks had been

registered contrary to EU law. The Greek company makes puzzle

cubes under the V-CUBE brand.

The Luxembourg-based General Court backed EUIPO.

"The General Court confirms the annulment of trade marks

consisting of the shape of the 'Rubik's cube'," judges said.

"As the essential characteristics of that shape are

necessary to obtain a technical result, it should not have been

registered as an EU trade mark," they said.

Spin Master Toys, which can appeal to the Court of Justice

of the European Union, Europe's highest, did not immediately

reply to an emailed request for comment.

The case is T-1170/23 Spin Master Toys UK v EUIPO - Verdes

Innovations.