Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Order of the General Court (Tenth Chamber) of 11 February 2022 –  
Calrose Rice v EUIPO – Ricegrowers (Sunwhite)

(Case T‑459/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TO0459_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU figurative mark Sunwhite – Earlier national figurative mark Sunwhite – Relative ground for refusal – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Action manifestly lacking any foundation in law)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Duty of diligence  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(1))  (see para. 20) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Decision of a unit of EUIPO forming part of the context of the decision of the Board of Appeal  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see paras 24, 25) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)  (see para. 30) |

| 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 38, 39) |

| 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 – Figurative marks Sunwhite and Sunwhite  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 40, 41, 43, 46, 54) |

| 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 – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 42) |

Operative part

| 1. | The action is dismissed. |

| 2. | Calrose Rice shall pay the costs of the present proceedings. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TO0459_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 382, 20.9.2021](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2021:382:TOC).

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