Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 25 June 2020 –  
Nitto Pharmaceutical Industries v EUIPO – Chiesi Farmaceutici (NOSTER)

(Case T‑550/19)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – International registration designating the European Union – Word mark NOSTER – Earlier EU word mark FOSTER – Relative ground for refusal – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 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  (Regulation 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 16, 17, 60, 64, 65) |

| 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 – Assessment of the likelihood of confusion – Establishing the relevant public – Attention level of the public  (Regulation 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 19) |

| 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 – Word marks NOSTER and FOSTER  (Regulation 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 21, 23, 24, 27, 34, 48, 53, 55, 59, 66-68) |

| 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 of the goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment  (Regulation 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 29) |

| 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 – Similarity of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment  (Regulation 2017/1001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 36, 41, 42, 51, 52) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 13 May 2019 (Case R 2279/2018-5), relating to opposition proceedings between Chiesi Farmaceutici and Nitto Pharmaceutical Industries.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Nitto Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) and by Chiesi Farmaceutici SpA. |

[Top](#document1)