Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 30 November 2022 –  
Mendes v EUIPO – Actial Farmaceutica (VSL 3TOTAL)

(Case T‑678/21) (
[1](#t-ECR_62021TJ0678_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark VSL3TOTAL – Earlier EU word mark VSL#3 – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Similarity of the signs – Similarity of the goods – Article 8(1)(b) and Article 53(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) and Article 60(1)(a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

| 1. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 14-16, 67) |

| 2. | 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 – Assessment of the likelihood of confusion – Determination of the relevant public – Attention level of the public – Medicinal products  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 21-23, 27) |

| 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 –Word marks VSL 3TOTAL and VSL#3  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 25, 34, 44, 54, 58, 62, 66) |

| 4. | 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 – Similarity between the goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))  (see paragraph 32) |

| 5. | EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark – Assessment of the registrability of a sign – EU rules only taken into account – Decisions of national authorities not binding EU bodies  (Council Regulation No 207/2009)  (see paragraph 43) |

| 6. | 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 – Similarity of the marks concerned – Assessment of the distinctive character of an element of which a trade mark is composed  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))  (see paragraphs 45-48) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mendes SA to pay the costs. |

---

(
[1](#c-ECR_62021TJ0678_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 502, 13.12.2021](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2021:502:TOC).

[Top](#document1)