Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 18 September 2015

1. Community trade markProcedural provisionsStatement of reasons for decisions (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75) (see paras 16, 17)

2. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of tradeConditionsAssessment by reference to the criteria determined by the national law governing the sign relied on (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(4), and 41(1)(c)) (see paras 25, 26)

3. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of tradeOpposition based on the protected geographical indicationApplicable provisionsCombined application of Article 13 of Regulation No 510/2006 and of Article 8(4) of Regulation No 207/2009 (Council Regulations No 510/2006, Art. 13, and No 207/2009, Art. 8(4)) (see paras 39-41, 52)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 17 May 2013 (Case R 757/2012-5) relating to opposition proceedings between the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia and Nadine Hélène Jeanne Hautrive.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 17 May 2013 (Case R 757/2012-5);

2. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Federación Nacional de Cafeteros de Colombia;

3. Orders Ms Nadine Hélène Jeanne Hautrive to bear her own costs.