Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 24 October 2019 –  
Mahr v EUIPO — Especialidades Vira (Xocolat)

(Case T‑58/18)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU word mark Xocolat — Earlier EU word mark LUXOCOLAT — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Similarity of signs — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — Reasoned statement in the notice of opposition — Rule 15(3)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 2868/95 (now Article 2(4) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625))

| 1. | EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Opposition proceedings — Content of the notice of opposition  (Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, rule 15(2)(c) and (3)(b), replaced by Commission Delegated Regulation 2018/625, Art. 2(2)(c), and (4))  (see paras 19, 20) |

| 2. | 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 26-28, 65, 66) |

| 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 — 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. 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 — Similarity between the goods or services in question — Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 33) |

| 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 36, 37, 48, 49) |

| 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 Xocolat and LUXOCOLAT  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 44, 64, 70-75) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 6 November 2017 (Case R 541/2017-2), relating to opposition proceedings between Especialidades Vira and Ms Mahr.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Ms Ramona Mahr to pay the costs. |

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