Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 10 October 2018 –

Cuervo y Sobrinos 1882 v EUIPO — A. Salgado Nespereira (Cuervo y Sobrinos LA HABANA 1882)

(Case T‑374/17)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark Cuervo y Sobrinos LA HABANA 1882 — Earlier national word marks CUERVO Y SOBRINO — Relative ground for refusal — Similarity of the goods — Similarity of the signs — Article 53(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 60(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Bad faith — Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 22-24)

2. 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 — Figurative mark Cuervo y Sobrinos LA HABANA 1882 and word marks CUERVO Y SOBRINO (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a)) (see paras 25-31, 35-44)

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 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 34, 41)

4. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application — Criteria for assessment — Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration — Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign — Intention of the applicant — Degree of legal protection of the signs at issue (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b)) (see paras 48-53, 59)

5. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application — Criteria for assessment — Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration — Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign — Circumstance not sufficient to establish bad faith (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b)) (see paras 54, 55)

6. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application — Criteria for assessment — Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration — Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign — Intention of the applicant — Origin and use of the sign in dispute — Commercial logic underlying the registration of the contested sign as an EU trade mark — Chronology of events characterising the filing of the trade mark application (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b)) (see paras 56-58, 60, 61)

7. EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Absolute grounds for invalidity — Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application — Figurative mark Cuervo y Sobrinos LA HABANA 1882 (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 52(1)(b)) (see paras 64-74)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 29 March 2017 (Case R 1141/2016-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between A. Salgado Nespereira and Cuervo y Sobrinos 1882.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Dismisses the cross-claim;

3. Orders Cuervo y Sobrinos 1882, SL to bear its own costs and to pay half of the costs incurred by EUIPO;