Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 28 November 2019.Runnebaum Invest GmbH v European Union Intellectual Property Office.EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the EU word mark Bergsteiger — Earlier Benelux word marks and EU figurative and word marks BERG — Relative ground for refusal — Article 47(1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Admissibility of a request for proof of genuine use — No likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001.Case T-736/18.

Judgment // 28/11/2019 // 4 min read
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Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 28 November 2019 –Runnebaum Invest v EUIPO — Berg Toys Beheer (Bergsteiger)

(Case T‑736/18)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the EU word mark Bergsteiger — Earlier Benelux word marks and EU figurative and word marks BERG — Relative ground for refusal — Article 47 (1) and (2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Admissibility of a request for proof of genuine use — No likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1) (b) of Regulation 2017/1001)

  1. EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Request presented expressly and on time by the applicant — Possibility of submitting the application for the first time before the Board of Appeal — Precluded

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 47(2))

(see para. 47)

  1. EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Need to determine that question, once raised by the applicant before the decision on the opposition

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 47(2))

(see para 53)

  1. EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Power of the General Court to alter the contested decision — Limits

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(3))

(see para. 55)

  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

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 67, 68)

  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

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 70, 75)

  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 — Composite mark

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 92, 93, 100, 103, 104, 109, 111)

  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 — Visual similarity between a figurative mark and a word mark

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 94, 97)

  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

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 116, 117)

  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 — Word mark Bergsteiger — Figurative and word mark BERG

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 120-122)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 22 October 2018 (Case R 572/2018-4) relating to opposition proceedings between Berg Toys Beheer and Runnebaum Invest.

Operative part

The Court:

  1. Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 22 October 2018 (Case R 572/2018-4);

  2. Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay the costs incurred by Runnebaum Invest GmbH;

  3. Orders Berg Toys Beheer BV to bear its own costs.

Trade marks