26As a preliminary point, it should be borne in mind that the protection of trade marks is characterised, within the European Union, by the coexistence of several systems of protection. First, according to recital 2 in the preamble thereto, the purpose of Directive 2008/95 is to approximate national trade mark laws in order to remove any existing disparities which may impede the free movement of goods and the freedom to provide services and which may distort competition within the common market (see, to that effect, Case C-190/10 GENESIS [2012] ECR, paragraphs 30 and 31).
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