Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 21 June 2023 –  
Ioulia and Irene Tseti Pharmaceutical Laboratories v EUIPO – Arbora & Ausonia (InterMed Pharmaceutical Laboratories eva intima)

(Joined Cases T‑197/22 and T‑198/22) (
[1](#t-ECR_62022TJ0197_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for EU figurative marks InterMed Pharmaceutical Laboratories eva intima – Earlier EU and national word marks EVAX – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 25-27, 101, 121) |

| 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 – 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 34, 35, 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 – Figurative marks InterMed Pharmaceutical Laboratories eva intima and word marks EVAX  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 47, 51, 52, 62, 63, 85, 86, 92, 93, 99, 100, 106, 107, 122, 128, 129) |

| 4. | 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 – Visual similarity between a figurative mark and a word mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 50, 58) |

| 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 – Similarity of the marks concerned – Whether conceptual differences may neutralise visual or aural similarities – Conditions  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraph 96) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 1 March 2022 (Case R 1244/2021‑1) in so far as the ‘toiletries; body cleaning preparations; cleaning preparations’ in Class 3 and the ‘hygienic preparations; sanitary preparations for medical purposes’ in Class 5 are concerned; |

| 2. | Dismisses the action in Case T‑197/22 as to the remainder; |

| 3. | Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 1 March 2022 (Case R 1245/2021‑1); |

| 4. | Orders each party to bear its own costs in Case T‑197/22; |

| 5. | Orders EUIPO and Arbora & Ausonia, SL to pay the costs incurred by Ioulia and Irene Tseti Pharmaceutical Laboratories SA in Case T‑198/22. |

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62022TJ0197_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 222, 7.6.2022](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2022:222:TOC).

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