No trademark protection for purely factual information – What does this mean for the “glasses man”?

The Federal Patent Court (BPatG) recently rejected the registration of the sign "Brillenmann" (glasses man) as a trademark. Mere factual references such as this are not sufficiently distinctive. The court argued that the word combination merely indicates that the goods are offered by an optician (the "Brillenmann"). This term has long been used in various internet forums and is therefore considered common, even though it is not listed in the dictionary.