Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 6 July 2016

EU trade markSurrender, revocation and invalidityExamination of the applicationProof 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, Art. 57(2)) (see paras 18, 19, 24)

EU trade markDefinition and acquisition of the EU 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 31, 32)

EU trade markDefinition and acquisition of the EU 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 assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 33, 43)

EU trade markSurrender, revocation and invalidityRelative grounds for invalidityExistence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or servicesLikelihood of confusion with the earlier markFigurative mark ALFREDO’S GALLERY alla Scrofa RomaWord mark L’ORIGINALE ALFREDO (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a)) (see paras 34, 35, 55, 57, 58)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 2 December 2014 (Case R 656/2014-1), relating to proceedings for a declaration of invalidity between Ms di Lelio and Mr Mozzetti.

Operative part

The Court:

Dismisses the action;

Orders Mr Mario Mozzetti to pay the costs.