Judgment — ECLI:EU:T:2016:698
Date: 2016-12-01
Language of the case: Spanish
Court formation: Eighth Chamber
Subject matter: Trade marks;Intellectual, industrial and commercial property
Procedure: Action for annulment - unfounded
Origin: Spain

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 1 December 2016 — Universidad Internacional de la Rioja v EUIPO — Universidad de la Rioja (UNIVERSIDAD INTERNACIONAL DE LA RIOJA uniR) (Case T‑561/15) (EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark UNIVERSIDAD INTERNACIONAL DE LA RIOJA uniR — Earlier EU word mark UNIRIOJA — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009) 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 (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65) (see para. 16) 2. 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 22, 23, 74) 3. EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Legality of the decision of a Board of Appeal adjudicating in opposition proceedings — No challenge on the part of the applicant for an EU trade mark to the determination of the relevant public at issue before the Board of Appeal — Effect (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 76) (see paras 31-33) 4. 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. 37) 5. 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. 48) 6. 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 — Figurative mark UNIVERSIDAD INTERNACIONAL DE LA RIOJA uniR — Word mark UNIRIOJA (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 76-81) 7. 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 — Coexistence of earlier marks on the market — Effect (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 87) Re: ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 22 June 2015 (Case R 1914/2014-5), relating to opposition proceedings between Universidad de la Rioja and Universidad Internacional de la Rioja. Operative part The Court: 1. Dismisses the action; 2. Orders Universidad Internacional de la Rioja, SA to pay the costs.