Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 18 September 2024 –  
Rodríguez Ruiz v EUIPO – Scherer (LEMOON)

(Case T‑1099/23) (
[1](#t-ECR_62023TJ1099_INF_EN_01-E0001)
)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark LEMOON – Earlier national word mark LENNON – Relative ground for refusal – No likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

| 1. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Opposition proceedings – Examination restricted to the facts, evidence and arguments provided – Examination of a legal question of EUIPO’s own motion – Condition  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(1); Commission Regulation 2018/625, Art. 27(2))  (see paragraphs 18, 21-23) |

| 2. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Examination of the facts of EUIPO’s own motion – Scope – Obligation to prove matters within common knowledge – None – Dispute before the General Court  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 95(1))  (see paragraphs 20, 58-62) |

| 3. | EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Appeal brought against a decision of a unit of EUIPO ruling at first instance and referred to the Board of Appeal – Functional continuity between those two bodies – Examination of the appeal by the Board of Appeal – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 71(1))  (see paragraph 27) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Procedural provisions – Decisions of EUIPO – Observance of the rights of the defence – Scope of the principle  (Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union, Art. 41(2)(a); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 94(1))  (see paragraphs 30, 32-34) |

| 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 – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 41-44) |

| 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 marks concerned – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 55, 71) |

| 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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Word marks LEMOON and LENNON  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paragraphs 63-65, 72, 76, 77) |

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Mr Miguel Ángel Rodríguez Ruiz to bear his own costs and to pay those incurred by Mr Markus Scherer; |

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

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(
[1](#c-ECR_62023TJ1099_INF_EN_01-E0001)
) [OJ C 964, 29.1.2024](./../../../legal-content/EN/AUTO/?uri=OJ:C:2024:964:TOC).

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