Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 3 April 2019 — NSC Holding v EUIPO — Ibercondor (CONDOR SERVICE, NSC)

(Case T‑468/18)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark CONDOR SERVICE, NSC — Earlier EU word mark IBERCONDOR — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Relevant public — Similarity of the services — Similarity of the signs — Article 8(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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Criteria for assessment (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 16, 78, 79)

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 — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Determination of the relevant public — Attention level of the public (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 17, 22)

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 — Earlier trade mark constituted by an EU trade mark — Refusal to register where there is a relative ground for refusal, even if limited to part of the Union (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 24)

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 (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 30, 32)

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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 39, 40, 42, 53)

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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Figurative mark CONDOR SERVICE, NSC and word mark IBERCONDOR (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 83-89)

Re

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 28 May 2018 (Case R 2440/2017-4) relating to opposition proceedings between Ibercondor Barcelona SA and NSC Holding.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;