62021TJ0176_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 13 July 2022 –CCTY Bearing Company v EUIPO – CCVI International (CCTY)
(Case T‑176/21) (
1
)
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark CCTY – Earlier EU figurative mark CCVI – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Misuse of rights – Article 71 of Regulation 2017/1001)
1.
EU law – Principles – Prohibition of abuse of rights
(see para. 17)
2.
EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of a unit of the Office ruling at first instance and referred to the Board of Appeal – Functional continuity between those two bodies – Examination of the appeal by the Board of Appeal – Scope
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 71(1))
(see para. 18)
3.
EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Persons entitled to appeal and to be parties to the proceedings – Persons whose claims are not upheld by a decision – Invalidity proceedings based on an EU trade mark and an earlier EU trade mark – Decision granting the application for a declaration of invalidity without taking into account all the grounds for invalidity relied on – Decision upholding the claims of the applicant for a declaration of invalidity
(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 67, 71(1) and 95; Commission Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27)
(see para. 19)
4.
Appeal – Pleas in law – Plea against a ground of the judgment not necessary to support the operative part – Ineffective plea
(Art. 256 TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.)
(see para. 20)
5.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for 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 paras 32, 33, 61, 62)
6.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Similarity of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment – Composite mark
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))
(see paras 39-42, 46, 47)
7.
EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Word mark CCTY and figurative mark CCVI
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))
(see paras 49, 53, 58, 66-68)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders CCTY Bearing Company to pay the costs.
(
1
)	OJ C 206, 31.5.2021.