Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 12 December 2014

1. Judicial proceedingsApplication initiating proceedingsFormal requirementsIdentification of the subject-matter of the disputeBrief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is basedAbstract statementInadmissibility (Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21 and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 44(1)(c)) (see paras 20, 21)

2. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesLikelihood of confusion with the earlier markCoexistence of earlier marks on the marketRelevance (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 30)

3. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesPossession by the trade mark applicant of a national mark identical to that applied for and prior to the opposing national trade mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8) (see para. 45)

4. Community trade markObservations of third parties and oppositionExamination of the oppositionProof of use of the earlier markRequest presented expressly and on time by the applicantPossibility of submitting the application for the first time before the Board of AppealExclusion (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 42(2) and (3), and 132(1); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art.1, Rule 22) (see paras 55, 56)

5. Community trade markDecisions of the OfficePrinciple of equal treatmentPrinciple of sound administrationOHIM’s previous decision-making practicePrinciple of legalityNeed for a strict and complete examination in each particular case (see paras 63, 64)

6. EU lawPrinciplesProtection of legitimate expectationsConditionsSpecific assurances given by the authorities (see para. 65)

7. Community trade markAppeals procedureBoards of AppealClassification as administration of the OfficeRight of the parties to a fair process None (Council Regulation No 207/2009) (see para. 71)

8. Community trade markProcedural provisionsStatement of reasons for decisionsArticle 75, first sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence) (see para. 72)

9. Acts of the institutionsStatement of reasonsObligationScopeDecision referring to EU case-law not published in the ECRNo infringement of the duty to state reasons (Art. 296 TFEU) (see paras 75, 76)

10. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesLikelihood of confusion with the earlier markCriteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 81, 82, 84, 85, 109, 131)

11. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesLikelihood of confusion with the earlier markFigurative mark da rosa and word mark aROSA (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 90, 91, 108, 134)

12. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesSimilarity between the products concernedCriteria for assessmentComplementary nature of the goods (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 94, 95)

13. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesSimilarity of the marks concernedCriteria for assessmentComposite mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 110, 111, 120)

14. Community trade markDefinition and acquisition of the Community trade markRelative grounds for refusalOpposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesSimilarity of the marks concernedPossibility of a similarity between a figurative mark and a word mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 115)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 22 May 2013 (Case R 1195/2012-5), concerning opposition proceedings between A-Rosa Akademie Gmbh and Le Comptoir d’Épicure.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Le Comptoir d’Épicure to pay the costs.