62021TJ0171_INF
Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 2 March 2022 –Ubisoft Entertainment v EUIPO – Huawei Technologies (FOR HONOR)
(Case T‑171/21) (
1
)
(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for EU figurative mark FOR HONOR – Earlier EU word mark HONOR – 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))
1.
Judicial proceedings – Costs – Litigation concerning intellectual property rights – Recoverable costs – Costs necessarily incurred by the parties for the purposes of the proceedings before the Board of Appeal
(Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 190(2))
(see para. 20)
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 29, 30, 115)
3.
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. 34)
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 – Similarity between the goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment – Complementary nature of the goods or services
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see paras 37, 38, 49, 50)
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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Figurative mark FOR HONOR and word mark HONOR
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see paras 76, 109, 111, 116)
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 – Similarity of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see paras 77, 78, 91, 92, 96)
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 – Similarity of the marks concerned – Assessment of the distinctive character of an element of which a trade mark is composed
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see para. 87)
8.
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 – Composite mark – Determination of the dominant element or elements
(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))
(see para. 88)
Operative part
The Court:
1.
Dismisses the action;
2.
Orders Ubisoft Entertainment to pay the costs.
(
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)	OJ C 228, 14.6.2021.