Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 19 September 2018 –

Volkswagen v EUIPO — Paalupaikka (MAIN AUTO WHEELS)

(Case T‑623/16)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark MAIN AUTO WHEELS — Earlier EU figurative marks VW — Absolute ground for refusal — No similarity of the signs — Article 8(1)(b) and (5) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) and (5) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Obligation to state reasons — First sentence of Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now first sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001))

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 16, 17, 45)

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 — Composite mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 30, 31, 33, 40)

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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Assessment only on the basis of the dominant element of a complex mark — Conditions (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 32)

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 — Figurative marks MAIN AUTO WHEELS and VW (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 36-38, 41-43, 52, 54, 61)

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 enjoying a reputation — Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services — Conditions (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(5)) (see paras 59, 60)

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 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(5)) (see paras 63, 64)

7. EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — First sentence of Article 75 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 69, 70)

8. Actions for annulment — Pleas in law — Lack of or inadequate statement of reasons — Separate ground from the one concerning substantive legality (Art. 296 TFEU) (see para. 71)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 1 July 2016 (Case R 2189/2015-4) concerning opposition proceedings between Volkswagen and Paalupaikka.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;