Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 11 October 2016 — Guccio Gucci v EUIPO — Guess? IP Holder (Representation of four interlocking Gs)

(Case T‑753/15)

‛EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — International registration designating the European Union — Application for an EU figurative mark representing four interlocking Gs — Earlier EU and international figurative marks G — Relative ground for refusal — No similarity between the signs — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009’

1. 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 19, 21)

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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 20)

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 — Figurative mark representing four interlocking Gs and figurative marks G (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 31-39)

4. EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — Article 75, first sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009 — Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence) (see paras 43, 44)

5. EU trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Legality — EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice — Principle of non-discrimination — Irrelevant (Council Regulation No 207/2009) (see para. 46)

6. EU trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of sound administration — EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice — Principle of legality (Council Regulation No 207/2009) (see para. 47)

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 enjoying a reputation — Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services — Conditions — Similarity of the marks concerned — Degree of similarity required (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b), and (5)) (see paras 50-52)

8. 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. 56)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 14 October 2015 (Case R 1703/2014-4), relating to opposition proceedings between Guccio Gucci and Guess? IP Holder.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;