Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 29 May 2024 –  
Chiquita Brands v EUIPO – Jara 2000 (CHIQUITA QUEEN)

(Case T‑79/23) (
[1](#t-ECR_62023TJ0079_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark CHIQUITA QUEEN – Earlier EU figurative mark Red Queen – Relative ground for refusal – No likelihood of confusion – No similarity between the signs – 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 – Account taken by the General Court of matters of law and fact not previously raised before the departments of EUIPO – Not included  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72)  (see paragraph 17) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of 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 paragraphs 21-23, 79) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Similarity between the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment – Composite mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 28, 29, 35-37, 47) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Word mark CHIQUITA QUEEN and figurative mark Red Queen  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 83-85) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 13 December 2022 (Case R 1811/2021-2); |

| 2. | Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Chiquita Brands LLC, including the costs necessarily incurred by the latter for the purposes of the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO; |

| 3. | Orders Jara 2000, SL to bear its own costs, including those incurred before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62023TJ0079_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 121, 3.4.2023](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2023:121:TOC).

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