Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the Court (Fifth Chamber) of 26 July 2017 — Continental Reifen Deutschland v Compagnie générale des établissements Michelin

(Case C‑84/16 P) (
[1](#t-ECR_62016CJ0084_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(Appeal — EU trade mark — Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Article 8(1)(b) — Figurative mark including the word element ‘XKING’ — Opposition by the proprietor of national marks and an international registration including the word element ‘X’ — Rejection of opposition by the Board of Appeal — Likelihood of confusion — Distortion of the evidence)

| 1. | Appeal—Grounds—Incorrect assessment of the facts and evidence—Inadmissibility—Review by the Court of the assessment of the facts and evidence—Possible only where the clear sense of the evidence has been distorted  (Art. 256(1) TFEU; Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 58, first para.)  (see paras 36, 61-63) |

| 2. | Appeal—Grounds—Grounds of a judgment vitiated by an infringement of EU law—Operative part well founded for other legal reasons—Rejection  (see paras 44, 101) |

| 3. | Appeal—Grounds—Inadequate statement of reasons—Reliance by the General Court on implied reasoning—Lawfulness—Conditions  (Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 36 and 53, first para.)  (see para. 83) |

| 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 95-97) |

| 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—Weak distinctive character of the earlier mark—Effect  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 98-100) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the appeal; |

| 2. | Orders Continental Reifen Deutschland GmbH to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Compagnie générale des établissements Michelin; |

| 3. | Orders the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to bear its own costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62016CJ0084_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 211, 13.6.2016](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2016:211:TOC).

[Top](#document1)