Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 20 June 2019 — Nonnemacher v EUIPO — Ingram (WKU WORLD KICKBOXING AND KARATE UNION)

(Case T‑390/18)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark WKU WORLD KICKBOXING AND KARATE UNION — Earlier EU word marks WKA — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) and Article 60(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 — No limitation in consequence of acquiescence — Article 61(1) of Regulation 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Limitation through acquiescence  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 61(1))  (see para. 18) |

| 2. | EU law — Principles — Prohibition of abuse of right  (see para. 21) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a))  (see paras 29, 30, 88, 102, 106) |

| 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 between the goods or services in question — Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 31) |

| 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 — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Determination of the relevant public — Attention level of the public  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 35, 40) |

| 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 of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 48, 49, 51, 52) |

| 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 — Assessment of the distinctiveness of an element of which a trade mark is composed  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 50) |

| 8. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Examination of the application — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Request presented expressly and on time by the applicant — Possibility of submitting the application for the first time before the Board of Appeal — Precluded  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 64(2))  (see para. 95) |

| 9. | EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Figurative mark WKU WORLD KICKBOXING AND KARATE UNION — Word marks WKA  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a))  (see paras 107-110) |

Re

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 17 April 2018 (Case R 409/2017-1), relating to invalidity proceedings between Mr Ingram and Mr Nonnemacher.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mr Klaus Nonnemacher to pay the costs. |

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