Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 5 December 2019.Idea Groupe v European Union Intellectual Property Office.EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark Idealogistic Verhoeven Greatest care in getting it there — Earlier national word marks idéa logistique, IDEA and groupe idea — Earlier national figurative mark iDÉA — International registrations designating the European Union — Earlier figurative mark iDÉA and earlier word mark IDEA — Relative grounds for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Use of a sign in the course of trade of more than mere local significance — Article 8(4) of Regulation 2017/1001.Case T-29/19.

Judgment // 05/12/2019 // 3 min read
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Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 5 December 2019 –Idea Groupe v EUIPO — The Logistical Approach (Idealogistic Verhoeven Greatest care in getting it there)

(Case T‑29/19)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark Idealogistic Verhoeven Greatest care in getting it there — Earlier national word marks idéa logistique, IDEA and groupe idea — Earlier national figurative mark iDÉA — International registrations designating the European Union — Earlier figurative mark iDÉA and earlier word mark IDEA — Relative grounds for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1) (b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Use of a sign in the course of trade of more than mere local significance — Article 8 (4) of Regulation 2017/1001)

  1. EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Re-evaluation of the facts in the light of evidence produced for the first time before it — Precluded

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

(see para. 20)

  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 — Marque figurative Idealogistic Verhoeven Greatest care in getting it there — Word marks idéa logistique, IDEA and groupe idea — Figurative marks iDÉA

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

(see paras 46, 50, 72, 79-81)

  1. EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal — Review of the legal classification given to the facts of the dispute

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

(see para. 120)

  1. Judicial proceedings — Obligation on the court to respect the framework of the dispute defined by the parties — No obligation on the court to rule solely on the basis of the arguments raised by the parties

(see para. 120)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 12 November 2018 (Case R 2064/2017-4), relating to opposition proceedings between Idea Groupe and The Logistical Approach.

Operative part

The Court:

  1. Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 12 November 2018 (Case R 2064/2017-4);

  2. Orders EUIPO and The Logistical Approach BV to bear their own costs and each to pay half of the costs incurred by Idea Groupe.

Trade marks