Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 24 April 2024 –  
Verla-Pharm Arzneimittel v EUIPO – Converso (Pherla)

(Case T-357/23) (
[1](#t-ECR_62023TJ0357_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU figurative mark Pherla – Earlier EU word mark VERLA – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(1))  (see paragraph 16) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 25, 26, 61) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Similarity between the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment – Composite mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 30, 31) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Similarity between the marks concerned – Visual similarity between a figurative mark and a word mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 39, 40) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Relative grounds for refusal – Opposition by the proprietor of an identical or similar earlier mark registered in respect of identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Figurative mark Pherla and word mark VERLA  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 44, 52, 63-65) |

| 6. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Power of the General Court to alter the contested decision – Limits  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 72(3))  (see paragraph 69) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 7 February 2023 (Case R 268/2022-2); |

| 2. | Dismisses the action as to the remainder; |

| 3. | Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Verla-Pharm Arzneimittel GmbH & Co. KG; |

| 4. | Orders Ms Valeria Converso to bear her own costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62023TJ0357_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 296, 21.8.2023](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2023:296:TOC).

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