62024TJ0242_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 30 April 2025 –Versiontech v EUIPO – Verizon Trademark Services (VersionTech)
(Case T‑242/24)
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark VersionTech – Earlier EU word mark VERIZON – Relative ground for invalidity – No likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) and Article 53(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) and Article 60(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)
1.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Criteria for assessment
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))
(see paragraphs 17, 18, 59)
2.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Assessment of the likelihood of confusion – Determination of the relevant public – Level of attention of the public
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))
(see paragraph 21)
3.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Similarity between the goods or services concerned – Criteria for assessment
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))
(see paragraph 26)
4.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Similarity between the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))
(see paragraphs 30, 38, 44, 58)
5.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Word marks VersionTech and VERIZON
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))
(see paragraphs 40, 45, 46, 50, 51, 58, 63-65)
6.
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(2) and (3))
(see paragraph 68)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 6 March 2024 (Case R 31/2023 1) in so far as it annulled the decision of the Cancellation Division of 14 December 2022 relating to the EU word mark VersionTech and declared that mark invalid;
2.
Dismisses the appeal brought by Verizon Trademark Services LLC before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO against the decision of the Cancellation Division of 14 December 2022;
3.
Orders Verizon Trademark Services to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Versiontech, Inc. in the present proceedings and in the proceedings before the Board of Appeal;
4.
Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs.