Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 16 October 2018 –  
M & K v EUIPO — Genfoot (KIMIKA)

(Case T‑171/17)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU word mark KIMIKA — Earlier EU word mark KAMIK — Relative grounds for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Genuine use — Article 42(2) and (3) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 47(2) and (3) of Regulation 2017/1001))

| 1. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Meaning — Interpretation taking account of the rationale of Article 42(2) and (3) of Regulation No 207/2009  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Recital 10 and Art. 42(2) and (3); Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rule 22(3))  (see paras 24, 25) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Meaning — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3))  (see paras 26-30) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Application of the criteria to the case in question  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 43(2) and (3))  (see para. 31) |

| 4. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Genuine use — Criteria for assessment — Requirement of solid and objective evidence  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 43(2) and (3))  (see para. 32) |

| 5. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Partial use — Effect — Concept of (part of the goods or services) covered by the registration  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 43(2) and (3))  (see para. 33) |

| 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 — Visual similarity between a figurative mark and a word mark  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 41) |

| 7. | EU trade mark — Observations of third parties and opposition — Examination of the opposition — Proof of use of the earlier mark — Probative value of the evidence — Criteria for assessment  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 42(2) and (3))  (see para. 49) |

| 8. | 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 57, 58, 102) |

| 9. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 59) |

| 10. | 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 — Complementary nature of the goods or services  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 61, 62) |

| 11. | 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 — Complementary nature of the goods or services — Clothing, footwear, headgear in Class 25 of the Nice Agreement  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 66-68) |

| 12. | 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 — Word marks KIMIKA and KAMIK  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 70-72, 84-88, 93-98, 101, 107-110) |

| 13. | 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  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 74, 77, 83) |

| 14. | 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 — Whether conceptual differences may neutralise visual or aural similarities — Conditions  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see para. 91) |

| 15. | EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — First sentence of Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 — Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU  (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence)  (see para. 100) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 12 January 2017 (Case R 1206/2016-4), relating to opposition proceedings between Genfoot and M & K.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders M & K Srl to pay the costs. |

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