Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 18 November 2020 –  
Topcart v EUIPO – Carl International (TC CARL)

(Case T‑377/19)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for EU word mark TC CARL – Earlier national figurative mark CARL TOUCH – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal – Re-examination of the facts in the light of evidence not previously submitted before EUIPO bodies – Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see para. 23) |

| 2. | Acts of the institutions – Temporal application – Application of the substantive law in force at the time of the application for the registration of a trade mark  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 27) |

| 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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 28-31, 77, 83, 86) |

| 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 – Word mark TC CARL and figurative mark CARL TOUCH  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 43, 50, 53, 74, 80, 89, 95) |

| 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 44-47, 59-62, 64) |

| 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 – Weak distinctive character of the earlier mark – Effect  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 78) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 2 April 2019 (Case R 1826/2018-2), relating to opposition proceedings between Carl International and Topcart.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Topcart GmbH to pay the costs. |

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