Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 21 September 2017 — Novartis v EUIPO — Meda (Zymara)

(Case T‑214/15)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the EU word mark Zymara — Earlier EU word mark FEMARA — Relative ground for refusal — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 — Article 76(1) of Regulation 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 20, 21, 151) |

| 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—Attention level of the public—Medicinal products  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 27, 39, 40, 45-47) |

| 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 between the goods or services in question—Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 49) |

| 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 marks concerned—Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 72, 75, 83) |

| 5. | EU trade mark—Procedural provisions—Statement of reasons for decisions—Article 75, first sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009—Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU  (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence)  (see paras 108, 109) |

| 6. | EU trade mark—Decisions of the Office—Legality—EUIPO’s previous decision-making practice—Principle of non-discrimination—Irrelevant  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see para. 115) |

| 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—Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark—Word marks Zymara and FEMARA  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 155-158) |

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 6 February 2015 (Case R 550/2014-5) relating to opposition proceedings between Novartis and Meda.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Novartis AG to pay the costs. |

[Top](#document1)