"45 In view of its serious effect in extinguishing the exclusive rights of the proprietors of the trade marks in issue in the main proceedings (rights which enable them to control the initial marketing in the EEA) consent must be so expressed that an intention to renounce those rights is unequivocally demonstrated. "46. Such intention would normally be gathered from an express statement of consent. Nevertheless, it is conceivable that consent may, in some cases, be inferred from facts and circumstances prior to, simultaneous with or subsequent to the placing of the goods on the market outside the EEA which, in the view of the national court, unequivocally demonstrate that the proprietor has renounced his rights. "47. The answer to the first question referred in each of Cases C-414/99 to C-416/99 must therefore be that, on a proper construction of Article 7(1) of the Directive, the consent of a trade mark proprietor to the marketing within the EEA of products bearing that mark which have previously been placed on the market outside the EEA by that proprietor or with his consent may be implied, where it is to be inferred from facts and circumstances prior to, simultaneous with or subsequent to the placing of the goods on the market outside the EEA which, in the view of the national court, unequivocally demonstrate that the proprietor has renounced his right to oppose placing of the goods on the market within the EEA."
"53. It follows from the answer to the first question referred in the three cases C-414/99 to C-416/99 that consent must be expressed positively and that the factors taken into consideration in finding implied consent must unequivocally demonstrate that the trade mark proprietor has renounced any intention to enforce his exclusive rights. "54. It follows that it is for the trader alleging consent to prove it and not for the trade mark proprietor to demonstrate its absence. "55. Consequently, implied consent to the marketing within the EEA of goods put on the market outside that area cannot be inferred from the mere silence of the trade mark proprietor. "56. Likewise, implied consent cannot be inferred from the fact that a trade mark proprietor has not communicated his opposition to marketing within the EEA or from the fact that the goods do not carry any warning that it is prohibited to place them on the market within the EEA. "57. Finally, such consent cannot be inferred from the fact that the trade mark proprietor transferred ownership of the goods bearing the mark without imposing contractual reservations or from the fact that, according to the law governing the contract, the property right transferred includes, in the absence of such reservations, an unlimited right of resale or, at the very least, a right to market the goods subsequently within the EEA. "58. A rule of national law which proceeded upon the mere silence of the trade mark proprietor would not recognise implied consent but rather deemed consent. This would not meet the need for consent positively expressed required by community law."
"I know from the presence of the CE marking on product packaging that the product in question meets all regulatory requirements for sale in the UK. This is because the CE marking shows that the product in question has been formally approved for sale in the EU under the relevant regulatory approval regimes"
"My understanding of the CE marking is that it serves as a product marking which is used within Europe, under the relevant European regulatory regimes, for the purposes of ensuring compliance with the appropriate quality and safety standards. The CE marking is understood by traders, and increasingly by consumers, as evidence of compliance with EU standards. If a diagnostic device is not intended for sale in the EU, it does not need to carry the CE marking. I therefore regard the presence of the CE marking on any particular product as evidence that the product is intended for sale in the EU. My colleagues at Kent share my understanding and that understanding is reflected in the terms of Kent's standard operating procedure"
"The CE mark is applied to the product by the manufacturer before it is placed on the European market. A CE mark may only be applied to a device for which the manufacturer has signed a declaration of conformity indicating that it conforms to the requirements of the Directive"
"The CE mark is the outward sign that a product meets all relevant new approach European Directives and is therefore permitted free access to all European markets. The CE mark is not unique to diagnostic products and you will find CE marks on electrical equipment, medical devices, even toys."
"The CE mark means that the device meets a defined set of minimum safety requirements listed in Annex 1 to the IVD Directive. It also means that the device is manufactured under a quality system."
"The CE mark means a manufacturer is satisfied that his product conforms with the relevant essential requirements in the Directives and it is fit for its intended purpose."
"The product's packaging all bore an EMEA licence number which is considered a clear indication that the goods were placed on the market in the EEA by Glaxo or with their consent. It is common knowledge that where an originator wishes to sell products outside of the EEA, they either adopt a different pack design to that used by them in Europe, apply a non-EEA product licence to them and/or attach stickers to the packaging stating that they are not for sale within the EEA."