Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 17 January 2019 –  
Turbo-K International v EUIPO — Turbo-K (TURBO-K)

(Case T‑671/17)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU work mark TURBO-K — Earlier non-registered marks TURBO-K — Relative ground for refusal — Use of a sign in the course of trade of more than mere local significance — Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Rules governing common-law actions for passing-off — Goodwill)

| 1. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Conditions — Assessment by reference to the criteria determined by the national law governing the sign relied on  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(4))  (see para. 33) |

| 2. | Action for annulment — Subject-matter — Decision based on several pillars of reasoning, each sufficient to justify the operative part — Annulment of such a decision — Conditions  (Art. 263 TFEU)  (see para. 39) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Local scope of sign — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(4))  (see para. 52) |

| 4. | National law — Reference to national law — United Kingdom law — Action for passing off  (see paras 56-58, 64, 69, 79) |

| 5. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Word mark TURBO-K and unregistered marks TURBO-K  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(4))  (see paras 59, 68, 71, 72, 81, 85) |

| 6. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Persons entitled to appeal and to be parties to the proceedings — Persons whose claims not upheld by a decision — Decision upholding an opposition to registration of a trade mark, based on the existence of the likelihood of confusion with an earlier mark, without recognising the latter as having enhanced distinctiveness — No interest in bringing proceedings — Inadmissibility  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65(4))  (see paras 90, 91) |

| 7. | EU trade mark — Conversion into a national trade mark application — Application with a view to initiating the national procedure  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 112(2)(b))  (see paras 95-97) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 14 July 2017 (Case R 2135/2016-2), relating to opposition proceedings between Turbo-K and Turbo-K International.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Dismisses the cross-claim as inadmissible; |

| 3. | Orders Turbo-K International Ltd and Turbo-K Ltd each to bear their own costs and each to pay half of the costs incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). |

[Top](#document1)