Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 28 April 2021 –  
Asolo v EUIPO – Red Bull (FLÜGEL)

(Case T‑509/19)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark FLÜGEL – Earlier national word marks …VERLEIHT FLÜGEL and RED BULL VERLEIHT FLÜÜÜGEL – Relative grounds for refusal – Damage to reputation – Article 8(5) and Article 52(1)(a) of Regulation No 40/94 (now Article 8(5) and Article 60(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Right to be heard – Article 70(2) and Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Decisions of the Office – Observance of the rights of the defence – Scope of the principle  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), 2nd sentence)  (see paras 48, 49) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Implementation of a judgment annulling a decision adopted by a Board of Appeal – New examination of the appeal – Observance of the rights of the defence  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), 2nd sentence)  (see para. 50) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services – Conditions – Taking unfair advantage of the distinctive character or repute of the earlier mark – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(5) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 58, 59, 131, 141) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services – Conditions – Reputation of the mark in the Member State or the EU – Definition – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(5) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 62, 63, 75) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Word mark FLÜGEL – Word marks …VERLEIHT FLÜGEL and RED BULL VERLEIHT FLÜÜÜGEL  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(5) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 81, 92, 96, 99, 126, 142, 159) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence 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 40/94, Arts 8(1)(b) and (5) and 52(1)(a))  (see para. 87) |

| 7. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services – Similarity of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(1)(b) and (5) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 88, 95, 124) |

| 8. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services – Conditions – Link between the marks – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(5) and 52(1)(a))  (see para. 104) |

| 9. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services – Similarity of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment – Assessment of the distinctive character of an element of which a trade mark is composed  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(1)(b) and (5) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 121, 122) |

| 10. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services – Conditions – Taking unfair advantage of the distinctive character or repute of the earlier mark – Concept  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(5) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 139, 140) |

| 11. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Assessment of the registrability of a sign – EU rules only taken into account – Decisions of national authorities not binding EU bodies  (Council Regulation No 40/94)  (see para. 147) |

| 12. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an earlier identical or similar mark enjoying a reputation – Protection of well-known earlier mark extended to dissimilar goods or services – Proof to be adduced by proprietor – Genuine future risk of undue profit or damage  (Council Regulation No 40/94, Arts 8(5) and 52(1)(a))  (see paras 150, 151, 156) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 15 May 2019 (Case R 201/2019-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between Red Bull and Asolo.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Asolo LTD to pay the costs. |

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