Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 18 October 2018
Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 18 October 2018
Data
- Court
- General Court
- Case date
- 18 oktober 2018
Verdict
Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 18 October 2018 –
Next design+produktion v EUIPO — Nanu-Nana Joachim Hoepp (nuuna)
(Case T‑533/17)
"(European Union trade mark - Opposition proceedings - Application for EU figurative mark - Earlier EU word marks NANU and NANU-NANA - Relative ground for refusal - Assessment of the likelihood of confusion - Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 [now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001] - Complementarity of the goods - Principles of autonomy and independence of the EU trade mark - Principles of compliance with the law and sound administration - Legal certainty)"
1. 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 16-18, 101, 102)
2. 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 markAssessment of the likelihood of confusionAttention level of the public
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see para. 20)
3. 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 markFigurative mark nuuna and word marks NANU and NANU-NANA
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see paras 22, 29, 38, 47, 53, 74, 84, 98, 100, 109)
4. 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 between the goods or services in questionCriteria for assessment
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see paras 23-25, 34, 36, 39, 58)
5. 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 75, 76, 94)
6. EU trade markDecisions of the OfficePrinciple of equal treatmentPrinciple of sound administrationEUIPO’s previous decision-making practicePrinciple of legality
(see paras 113, 114)
Re:
Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 24 May 2017 (Case R 1448/2016-1), relating to opposition proceedings between Nanu-Nana Joachim Hoepp and Next design+produktion.
Operative part
The Court:
1. Dismisses the action;
2. Orders Next design+produktion GmbH to pay the costs.