Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 24 March 2021 –  
Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi v EUIPO – Filotas Bellas & Yios (Halloumi)

(Case T‑282/19)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU figurative mark Halloumi χαλλούμι Vermion grill cheese/grill est/grill kase M BELAS PREMIUM GREEK DAIRY SINCE 1927 – Earlier EU collective word mark HALLOUMI – Relative ground for refusal – Bad faith – Article 52(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 59(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Article 53(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) and (5) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 60(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) and (5) of Regulation 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a))  (see paras 28, 54, 80, 87) |

| 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  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a))  (see paras 30, 31) |

| 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 – Similarity between the goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a))  (see paras 34, 40) |

| 4. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier collective mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Distinctive character of earlier mark – Criteria for assessment  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 7(1)(c) and 74(2))  (see paras 48-50, 53, 57, 58) |

| 5. | 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 – Figurative mark Halloumi χαλλούμι Vermion grill cheese/grill est/grill kase M BELAS PREMIUM GREEK DAIRY SINCE 1927 and collective word mark Halloumi  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a))  (see paras 52, 66, 82-86, 88, 91-96) |

| 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 – Criteria for assessment – Composite mark  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a))  (see paras 67-69) |

| 7. | EU law – Interpretation – Taking account of the context and usual meaning of the terms  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001)  (see para. 102) |

| 8. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Concept of bad faith – Scope  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paras 104, 105) |

| 9. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Criteria for assessment – Taking into account of all relevant factors at the time of filing the application for registration – Applicant’s knowledge that a third party is using an identical or similar sign – Intention of the applicant  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paras 106-109, 117) |

| 10. | EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Absolute grounds for invalidity – Applicant in bad faith when lodging the trade mark application – Figurative mark Halloumi χαλλούμι Vermion grill cheese/grill est/grill kase M BELAS PREMIUM GREEK DAIRY SINCE 1927  (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 59(1)(b))  (see paras 112-116, 119) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 15 February 2019 (Case R 2295/2017-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi and Filotas Bellas & Yios.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Dismisses the action; |

| 2. | Orders Foundation for the Protection of the Traditional Cheese of Cyprus named Halloumi to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). |

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