Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2008:487
Date: 2008-11-12
Language of the case: English
Court formation: First Chamber
Based on: Treaty establishing the European Economic Community (1957)
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Concepts: Figurative marks applied for
Procedure: Action for annulment - successful
Origin: Germany

Judgment of the Court of First Instance (First Chamber) of 12 November 2008 – Scil proteins v OHIM – Indena (affilene) (Case T-87/07) Community trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for Community figurative mark affilene – Earlier Community word mark AFFILIN – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Similarity between products – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 Community trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark – Relative ground 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 (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 40-42, 45-52) Re: ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 23 January 2007 (Case R 10/2006-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Scil proteins GmbH and Indena SpA. Information relating to the case Applicant for the Community trade mark: Indena SpA Community trade mark sought: Figurative mark affilene for goods in Class 1 – Application No 2751931 Proprietor of the mark or sign cited in the opposition proceedings: Scil proteins GmbH Mark or sign cited in opposition: Community word mark AFFILIN for goods in Classes 1 and 5 – Registration No 2583391 Decision of the Opposition Division: Opposition upheld Decision of the Board of Appeal: Opposition partially upheld Operative part The Court: 1. Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 23 January 2007 (Case R 10/2006-2) in so far as it dismisses the opposition with respect to the following goods: ‘extracts of medicinal plants for use in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic and food industries, not for diagnostic purposes’; 2. Orders OHIM to pay the costs.