Source: EURLEX
Language: en
Format: md

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 6 December 2018 –  
Fifth Avenue Entertainment v EUIPO — Commodore Entertainment (THE COMMODORES)

(Case T‑459/17)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU word mark ‘THE COMMODORES’ — Unregistered earlier sign ‘Commodores’ — Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Relative ground for refusal — Reference to the national law governing the earlier mark — Action for passing off)

| 1. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Interpretation of the list of goods for which a mark is registered — Question forming part of the factual and legal context before the Board of Appeal — Lawfulness  (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 188; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65(2))  (see para. 15) |

| 2. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Conditions — Interpretation in the light of EU law — Assessment by reference to the criteria determined by the national law governing the sign relied on  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(4))  (see paras 22-24, 29) |

| 3. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Sign giving its holder the right to prohibit the use of a more recent trade mark — Burden of proof  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(4))  (see para. 30) |

| 4. | National law — Reference to national law — United Kingdom law — Action for passing off  (see para. 32) |

| 5. | EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the proprietor of an unregistered trade mark or other sign used in the course of trade — Word mark THE COMMODORES and sign Commodores  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(4))  (see paras 36-40, 43) |

| 6. | EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Review of the lawfulness of decisions of the Boards of Appeal  (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)  (see para. 42) |

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 22 May 2017 (Case R 851/2016-5), relating to opposition proceedings between Commodore Entertainment and Fifth Avenue Entertainment.

Operative part

The Court:

| 1. | Annuls the Decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 22 May 2017 (Case R 851/2016-5); |

| 2. | Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Fifth Avenue Entertainment LLC; |

| 3. | Orders Commodore Entertainment Corp. to bear its own costs. |

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