Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 30 March 2017.Apax Partners UK Ltd v European Union Intellectual Property Office.EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — Application for the EU word mark APAX PARTNERS — Earlier international word mark APAX — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Similarity of the services — Article 8(1)(b) and Article 53(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009.Case T-209/16.

Judgment // 30/03/2017 // 2 min read
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Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 30 March 2017 —Apax Partners UK v EUIPO — Apax Partners Midmarket (APAX PARTNERS)

(Case T‑209/16)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — Application for the EU word mark APAX PARTNERS — Earlier international word mark APAX — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Similarity of the services — Article 8(1)(b) and Article 53(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Relative grounds for refusal—Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services—Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark—Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 19, 40, 44)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Relative grounds for refusal—Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services—Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark—Assessment of the likelihood of confusion—Determination of the relevant public—Attention level of the public

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 24)

  1. EU trade mark—Surrender, revocation and invalidity—Relative grounds for invalidity—Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services—Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark—Word marks APAX PARTNERS and APAX

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 25, 27, 39, 43, 45)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Relative grounds for refusal—Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services—Similarity of the marks concerned—Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 26)

  1. EU trade mark—Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark—Relative grounds for refusal—Opposition by the proprietor of an earlier identical or similar mark registered for identical or similar goods or services—Similarity between the goods or services in question—Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 29)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 17 February 2016 (Case R 1611/2014-2), relating to invalidity proceedings between Apax Partners Midmarket and Apax Partners UK.

Operative part

The Court:

  1. Dismisses the action;

  2. Orders Apax Partners UK Ltd to pay the costs, including those necessarily incurred by Apax Partners Midmarket for the purposes of the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).

Trade marks