Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 4 April 2019 –  
United Wineries v EUIPO — Compañía de Vinos Miguel Martín (VIÑA ALARDE)

(Case T‑779/17)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU word mark VIÑA ALARDE — Earlier national word mark ‘ALARDE’ — Proof of genuine use of the earlier mark — Article 42(2) and (3) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 47(2) and (3) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Identity of the goods — Similarity of the signs — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Meaning — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 42(2) and 3)  (see paras 17-20) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Application of the criteria to the case in question  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3))  (see para. 62) |

| 3. | 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 para. 68) |

| 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 — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 74, 75) |

| 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 78, 79, 87) |

| 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 — Word marks VIÑA ALARDE and (ALARDE)  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 84-86, 88, 89, 91, 94, 95, 100) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 25 September 2017 (Case R 281/2017-5) relating to opposition proceedings between Compañía de Vinos Miguel Martín and United Wineries.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders United Wineries, SA to pay the costs. |

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