Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 13 September 2023 –  
Transformers Manufacturing Company v EUIPO – H&F (TMC TRANSFORMERS)

(Case T‑167/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TJ0167_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for EU word mark TMC TRANSFORMERS – International registration of the earlier figurative mark TMC – 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))

| 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  (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 188; European Parliament and Council Regulation, Art. 72)  (see paragraph 21) |

| 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 41-43) |

| 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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Assessment of the likelihood of confusion – Determination of the relevant public – Attention level of the public  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 44-46, 99) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Decision of an EUIPO body forming part of the context of the decision of the Board of Appeal and Decision of a unit of the Office forming part of the context of the decision of the Board of Appeal  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 71(1) and 72)  (see paragraphs 53, 54) |

| 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 – Word mark TMC TRANSFORMERS and figurative mark TMC  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 63, 73, 84, 85, 91-93, 96, 100) |

| 6. | 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 goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 64, 65) |

| 7. | 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 of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment – Composite mark – Assessment of the distinctive character of an element of which a trade mark is composed  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 74, 75, 86, 87) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Transformers Manufacturing Company Pty Ltd to pay the costs. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TJ0167_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 207, 23.5.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:207:TOC).

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