Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 23 March 2017 — Vignerons de la Méditerranée v EUIPO — Bodegas Grupo Yllera (LE VAL FRANCE)

(Case T‑216/16)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark LE VAL FRANCE — Earlier EU word mark VIÑA DEL VAL — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

| 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 19, 89) |

| 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—Figurative mark LE VAL FRANCE and word mark VIÑA DEL VAL  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 20, 95, 96) |

| 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—Similarity of the marks concerned—Criteria for assessment—Composite mark—Determination of dominant component(s)  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 23-25) |

| 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—Similarity of the marks concerned—Assessment of the distinctiveness of an element composing a trade mark  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 26, 27) |

| 5. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)  (see para. 37) |

| 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—Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark—Similarity of the marks concerned—Whether conceptual differences may neutralise visual or aural similarities—Conditions  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 94) |

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 2 March 2016 (Case R 427/2015-5) relating to opposition proceedings between Bodegas Grupo Yllera and Vignerons de la Méditerranée.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Vignerons de la Méditerranée to pay the costs. |

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