Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 7 November 2019 –  
Local-e-motion v EUIPO — Volkswagen (WE)

(Case T‑568/18)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the EU figurative mark WE — Earlier national word mark WE — Relative ground for refusal — 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 earlier identical or similar mark registered for 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 paras 23-25, 80) |

| 2. | 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 — Coexistence of earlier marks — Recognition of a certain degree of distinctiveness of a national mark  (European Parliament and Council Directive 2015/2436, Art. 4(1)(b); European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b) and (2)(a)(ii))  (see paras 33, 34, 36) |

| 3. | 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 — Composite mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 47, 48, 50, 54, 56, 70, 71, 75) |

| 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 — Figurative mark WE and word mark WE  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))  (see paras 81, 82) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 12 July 2018 (Case R 128/2018-4) relating to opposition proceedings between Volkswagen and Local-e-motion.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | dismisses the action; |

| 2. | orders Local-e-motion GmbH to pay the costs. |

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