Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 10 November 2021 –  
Nissan Motor v EUIPO – VDL Groep (VDL E-POWER)

(Case T‑755/20)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark VDL E-POWER – Earlier national figurative marks e-POWER – Relative ground for refusal – No likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Obligation to state reasons – Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Protection of trade marks registered in the United Kingdom – Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union – Effect  (Art. 50 TEU; Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland from the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community, Art. 127)  (see paras 15-17) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Direction addressed to the Office – Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(6))  (see para. 20) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of 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, Recital 11 and Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 25, 26, 67-70) |

| 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 – 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 para. 27) |

| 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 31-33, 40) |

| 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 of the marks concerned – Assessment of the distinctive character of an element of which a trade mark is composed  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 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 – Word mark VDL E-POWER – Figurative mark e-POWER  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 74, 76, 79, 82) |

| 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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Weak distinctive character of the earlier mark – Effect  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 78) |

| 9. | Acts of the institutions – Statement of reasons – Obligation – Scope – Plea based on absence or inadequacy of the statement of reasons – Plea alleging incorrectness of the statement of reasons – Distinction  (Art. 296 TFEU)  (see para. 95) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 20 October 2020 (Case R 2914/2019-1), relating to opposition proceedings between Nissan Motor and VDL Groep.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Nissan Motor Co. Ltd to bear its own costs and to pay those of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and of VDL Groep BV. |

[Top](#document1)