Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 19 October 2022 –  
Greenwich Polo Club v EUIPO – Lifestyle Equities (GREENWICH POLO CLUB)

(Case T‑437/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0437_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU figurative mark GREENWICH POLO CLUB – Earlier EU word mark BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Scope of the examination to be carried out by the Board of Appeal – Article 71 of Regulation 2017/1001 – Article 27(2) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625)

| 1. | Action for annulment – Jurisdiction of the EU judicature – Claim seeking that directions be issued to an institution – Inadmissibility  (Art. 263 TFEU)  (see paragraph 13) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Alteration of a decision of EUIPO – Assessment in the light of the powers conferred on the Board of Appeal  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(3))  (see paragraph 14) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of a unit of EUIPO ruling at first instance and referred to the Board of Appeal – Functional continuity between those two bodies – Examination of the appeal by the Board of Appeal – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 71(1))  (see paragraph 20) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Opposition proceedings – Examination restricted to the facts, evidence and arguments provided – Examination of a legal question of EUIPO’s own motion – Condition  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(1))  (see paragraphs 22, 24) |

| 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 – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 23, 33, 34, 82, 83) |

| 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 between the goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 38, 39) |

| 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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Figurative mark GREENWICH POLO CLUB and word mark BEVERLY HILLS POLO CLUB  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 51, 61, 81, 98) |

| 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 52, 53) |

| 9. | EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Legality – EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see paragraph 79) |

| 10. | 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 – Coexistence of earlier marks on the market – Effect  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraph 96) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Greenwich Polo Club, Inc. to pay the costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0437_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 401, 4.10.2021](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2021:401:TOC).

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