Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 13 September 2023 –  
Korres v EUIPO – Naos (EST. KORRES 1996 HYDRA-BIOME)

(Case T‑328/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TJ0328_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU figurative mark EST. KORRES 1996 HYDRA-BIOME – Earlier national word mark HYDRABIO – Relative ground for refusal – No likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Obligation to state reasons – First sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation 2017/1001 – Scope of the examination to be carried out by the Board of Appeal – First sentence of Article 95(1) of Regulation 2017/1001)

| 1. | 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 – Essential procedural requirement  (Art. 296 TFEU; European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1), first sentence)  (see paragraphs 16, 17) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of a unit of EUIPO ruling at first instance and referred to the Board of Appeal – Functional continuity between those two bodies – Examination of the appeal by the Board of Appeal – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 71(1))  (see paragraph 23) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Opposition proceedings – Examination restricted to the facts, evidence and arguments provided – Examination of a legal question of EUIPO’s own motion – Condition  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(1); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27(2))  (see paragraphs 24, 25) |

| 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 – Weak distinctive character of the earlier mark – Effect  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 26, 27, 34, 35, 94-97) |

| 5. | 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 – 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 paragraph 41) |

| 6. | 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 – Weak distinctive character of the earlier mark – Figurative mark EST. KORRES 1996 HYDRA-BIOME and word mark HYDRABIO  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 46, 68, 78, 88, 107, 108) |

| 7. | 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 of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 47, 56, 72, 74, 75, 82, 86) |

| 8. | EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Legality – EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice  (European Parliament and Council Regulation No 2017/1001)  (see paragraph 106) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 23 March 2022 (Case R 1410/2021‑5); |

| 2. | Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Korres AE – Fysika Proionta; |

| 3. | Orders Naos to bear its own costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TJ0328_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 303, 8.8.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:303:TOC).

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