Can you “prevent” the filing of a trade mark that is confusingly similar to your own by filing that trade mark yourself first? In a sort of “self-defence”? The General Court dealt with this situation in its recent decision Vacu Activ Marcin Leśniak v EUIPO - Lakhomoff and AR Group Roman Tchir (VACUACTIVUS) (case T-650/25). Background The company Vacu Activ Marcin Leśniak (“Vacu Activ”) owns the Polish word mark “Vacu Activ”, which was filed in 2008 and the following EU trade mark that was filed in 2018: