CELEX: 62010TJ0552
Language: en
Date: 2012-10-25 00:00:00
Title: Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 25 October 2012. # riha Richard Hartinger Getränke GmbH & Co. Handels-KG v Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM). # Community trade mark - Opposition proceedings -Application for Community figurative mark VITAL&FIT - Earlier national word mark VITAFIT - Relative ground for refusal - Likelihood of confusion - Article 8(1)b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 - Duty to state reasons - Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009. # Case T-552/10.

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 25 October 2012 — riha v OHIM — Lidl Stiftung (VITAL&FIT)
      (Case T-552/10)
      Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community figurative mark VITAL&FIT — Earlier national word mark VITAFIT — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Duty to state reasons — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009
      1.                     Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — Aim (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation
            No 207/2009, Art. 75) (see paras 18, 19)
      2.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community 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 — Criteria (Council Regulation No 207/2009,
            Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 36)
      3.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community 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 VITAL&FIT and word mark VITAFIT (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art.
            8(1)(b)) (see paras 38-41, 62, 65)
      4.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community 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 42, 43)
      5.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community 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 — Low distinctiveness of the earlier mark — Relevance (Council Regulation No 207/2009,
            Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 64)
      Re:
      
         
               ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 5 October 2010 (Case R 1229/2009-4) relating
                  to opposition proceedings between Lidl Stiftung & Co. KG and riha Richard Hartinger Getränke GmbH & Co. Handels-KG.
               
            Operative part
      The Court:
      
         
                  1.
               
               
                  
               
               
                  	Dismisses the action;
               
            
         
                  2.
               
               
                  
               
               
                  	Orders riha Richard Hartinger Getränke GmbH & Co. Handels-KG to pay the costs.