Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 17 November 2021 –  
Soapland v EUIPO – Norma (Manou)

(Case T‑504/20)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark Manòu – Earlier national and international word marks MANOU – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Proof of genuine use of the earlier marks)

| 1. | Judicial proceedings – Pleas raised – Interpretation by the court – Limit – Change in the subject matter of the proceedings  (see para. 31) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94)  (see para. 34) |

| 3. | Judicial proceedings – Application initiating proceedings – Formal requirements – Identification of the subject matter of the dispute – Brief statement of the pleas in law on which the application is based  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21, first para., and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))  (see para. 35) |

| 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 – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 37-39, 62) |

| 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 – Word marks Manòu and MANOU  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 41, 42, 50, 53, 58, 59, 63-66) |

| 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 between the goods or services in question – Complementary nature of the goods – Clothes, footwear and headgear within Class 25 of the Nice Agreement and clothing accessories of leather and imitations of leather within Class 18 of the Nice Agreement  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 44, 49, 54) |

| 7. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 55) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 8 June 2020 (Case R 1504/2019-1), concerning opposition proceedings between Norma Lebensmittelfilialbetrieb Stiftung & Co. and Soapland GmbH & Co.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Soapland GmbH & Co. OHG to pay the costs. |

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