Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 6 April 2022 –  
Mandelay v EUIPO – Qx World (QUEST 9)

(Case T‑516/20) (
[1](#t-ECR_62020TJ0516_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark QUEST 9 – Earlier EU word mark QUEX – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Articles 95 and 97 of Regulation 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Re-evaluation of the facts in the light of evidence produced for the first time before it – Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see paras 17, 18) |

| 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 24, 25, 35, 52, 114, 115) |

| 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 paras 28, 36, 37, 39) |

| 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 marks QUEST 9 and QUEX  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 40, 51, 53, 54, 66, 109, 118) |

| 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 – Coexistence of earlier marks – Recognition of an EU trade mark as having a certain degree of distinctiveness  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 57, 63) |

| 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 paras 67, 75, 79, 106) |

| 7. | EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Legality – EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice – Need for a strict and complete examination in each particular case  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001)  (see paras 84, 85) |

| 8. | 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 – Recourse by the Board of Appeal to implicit reasoning – Whether permissible – Conditions  (Art. 296 TFEU; Regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)  (see paras 135-138) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mandelay Magyarország Kereskedelmi Kft. to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and by QX WORLD Kft. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62020TJ0516_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 339, 12.10.2020](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2020:339:TOC).

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