Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 12 July 2019 –  
Ogrodnik v EUIPO — Aviário Tropical (Tropical)

(Case T‑276/17)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark Tropical — Earlier national word mark TROPICAL — Relative ground for refusal — Article 8(1)(b) and Article 53(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) and Article 60(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Similarity of the goods — Likelihood of confusion — Coexistence of the marks)

| 1. | 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 — Coexistence of two marks on a given market — Effect  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 26, 27, 79, 80) |

| 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 — Similarity between the goods or services in question — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 30-32) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Figurative mark Tropical and word mark TROPICAL  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))  (see paras 53, 61, 63, 74, 85-88) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 14 February 2017 (Case R 2125/2016-1), relating to invalidity proceedings between Aviário Tropical and Mr Ogrodnik.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 14 February 2017 (Case R 2125/2016 1) in so far as, in that decision, the Board of Appeal upheld the application for a declaration of invalidity in respect of ‘products and preparations for the breeding of birds, reptiles, amphibians’ in Class 31 and ‘veterinary, therapeutic, disinfecting and sanitary products and preparations for use in terraristics’ in Class 5; |

| 2. | Dismisses the appeal brought by Aviário Tropical, SA, against the decision of the Cancellation Division of EUIPO of 15 July 2013 (R 1948/2013 4) in so far as that appeal seeks the annulment of the trade mark TROPICAL in respect of ‘products and preparations for the breeding of birds, reptiles, amphibians’ in Class 31 and ‘veterinary, therapeutic, disinfecting and sanitary products and preparations for use in terraristics’ in Class 5; |

| 3. | Dismisses the action as to the remainder; |

| 4. | Orders Mr Ogrodnik to pay half of EUIPO’s costs and half of his own costs; |

| 5. | Orders EUIPO to pay half of Mr Ogrodnik’s costs and half of its own costs. |

[Top](#document1)