Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 6 December 2018 — Vans v EUIPO — Deichmann (V)

(Case T‑817/16)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark V — Earlier international figurative mark V — Evidence of the existence, validity and scope of protection of an earlier trade mark — Rule 19(2)(a)(ii) of Regulation (EC) No 2868/95 (now Article 7(2)(a)(ii) of Delegated Regulation (EU) 2018/625) — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Similarity of the signs — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Facts, evidence and observations submitted in support of the opposition — Evidence of the existence, validity and scope of protection of an earlier international trade mark — Excerpt from the Office’s CTM-Online database concerning an international registration designating the European Union — Not included  (Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 19(2)(a)(ii))  (see para. 36) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Facts, evidence and observations submitted in support of the opposition — Evidence of the existence, validity and scope of protection of an earlier international trade mark — Excerpt from the Office’s TMview database concerning an international registration designating the European Union — Included  (Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 19(2)(a)(ii) and (3))  (see paras 39-41) |

| 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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Determination of the relevant public  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 60-62, 64-65) |

| 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 — Similarity between the goods or services in question  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 69) |

| 5. | 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 marks V  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 74-78, 84-87, 99-101, 105-108, 127) |

| 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 — Similarity of the marks concerned  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 88) |

| 7. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Signs of which a trade mark may consist — Sign consisting of a single letter — Condition — Distinctive character  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 4)  (see paras 115-117) |

| 8. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Appeal to a Board of Appeal — Challenge to the contested decision by the defendant in its observations  (Commission Regulation No 216/96, Art. 8(3); Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 59, 60(2) and 64(1))  (see paras 144-147, 156) |

| 9. | EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Decisions of the Office — Observance of the rights of the defence — Scope of the principle  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, second sentence)  (see para. 162) |

Re

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 19 September 2016 (Case R 2030/2015-4) relating to opposition proceedings between Deichmann and Vans.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Vans, Inc. to pay the costs. |

[Top](#document1)