CELEX: C1998/340/10
Language: en
Date: 1998-11-07 00:00:00
Title: JUDGMENT OF THE COURT of 29 September 1998 in Case C-39/97 (reference for a preliminary ruling from the Bundesgerichtshof): Canon Kabushiki Kaisha v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (Trade mark law - Likelihood of confusion - Similarity of goods or services)

C 340/6               EN                  Official Journal of the European Communities                                    7.11.98
Rühl, and subsequently D. Louterman-Hubeau, Principal                H. Ragnemalm, M. Wathelet and R. Schintgen (Presidents
Administrators, for the Registrar, has given a judgment on           of Chambers), P. J. G. Kapteyn, J. L. Murray, D. A. O.
29 September 1998, in which it:                                      Edward, G. Hirsch, P. Jann and L. Sevón, Judges; F. G.
                                                                     Jacobs, Advocate General; H. von Holstein, Deputy
                                                                     Registrar, for the Registrar, has given a judgment on
1. dismisses the pleas of inadmissibility;                           29 September 1998, in which it has ruled:
2. declares that, by failing to provide for appropriate              1. On a proper construction of Article 4(1)(b) of First
     penalties in cases where companies limited by shares                Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988
     fail to effect compulsory disclosure of their annual                to approximate the laws of the Member States relating
     accounts as prescribed, in particular, by Article 2(1)(f),          to trade marks, the distinctive character of the earlier
     and Articles 3 and 6 of the First Council Directive                 trade mark, and in particular its reputation, must be
     68/151/EEC of 9 March 1968 on coordination of                       taken into account when determining whether the
     safeguards which, for the protection of the interests of            similarity between the goods or services covered by the
     members and others are required by Member States                    two trade marks is sufficient to give rise to the
     of companies within the meaning of the second                       likelihood of confusion.
     paragraph of Article 58 of the Treaty, with a view to
     making such safeguards equivalent throughout the
     Community, in conjunction with Article 47(1) of the             2. There may be a likelihood of confusion within the
     Fourth Council Directive 78/660/EEC of 25 July 1978                 meaning of Article 4(1)(b) of Directive 89/104/EEC
     based on Article 54(3)(g) of the Treaty on the annual               even where the public perception is that the goods or
     accounts of certain types of companies, the Federal                 services have different places of production. By
     Republic of Germany has failed to fulfil its obligations            contrast, there can be no such likelihood where it does
     under those directives;                                             not appear that the public could believe that the goods
                                                                         or services come from the same undertaking or, as the
                                                                         case may be, from economically-linked undertakings.
3. orders the Federal Republic of Germany to pay the
     costs.                                                          (1) OJ C 94 of 22.3.1997.
(1) OJ C 208 of 12.8.1995.
                                                                                   JUDGMENT OF THE COURT
                                                                                            (First Chamber)
               JUDGMENT OF THE COURT
                                                                                         of 29 September 1998
                    of 29 September 1998
                                                                     in Case C-263/97 (reference for a preliminary ruling from
in Case C-39/97 (reference for a preliminary ruling from             the High Court of Justice, Queen's Bench Division): The
the Bundesgerichtshof): Canon Kabushiki Kaisha v.                    Queen v. Intervention Board for Agricultural Produce, ex
                Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. (1)                                  parte First City Trading Ltd and Others (1)
(Trade mark law Ð Likelihood of confusion Ð Similarity               (Agriculture Ð Common organisation of the markets Ð
                     of goods or services)                           Beef Ð Export refunds Ð Beef of British origin
                        (98/C 340/10)                                repatriated to the United Kingdom as a result of the
                                                                     announcements and decisions made in relation to mad
                                                                                    cow disease' Ð Force majeure)
               (Language of the case: German)
                                                                                             (98/C 340/11)
  (Provisional translation; the definitive translation will be                      (Language of the case: English)
          published in the European Court Reports)
                                                                     In Case C-263/97: reference to the Court under Article 177
In Case C-39/97: reference to the Court under Article 177            of the EC Treaty by the High Court of Justice, Queen's
of the EC Treaty from the Bundesgerichtshof (Federal                 Bench Division (England and Wales), for a preliminary
Court of Justice) (Germany), for a preliminary ruling in             ruling in the proceedings pending before that court
the proceedings pending before that court between Canon              between The Queen and Intervention Board for
Kabushiki Kaisha and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc.,                       Agricultural Produce, ex parte First City Trading Ltd and
formerly Pathe Communications Corporation Ð on the                   Others, on the interpretation of Articles 23 and 33
interpretation of Article 4(1)(b) of First Council Directive         of Commission Regulation (EEC) No 3665/87 of
89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate the                    27 November 1987 laying down common detailed rules
laws of the Member States relating to trade marks (OJ                for the application of the system of export refunds on
L 40 of 11.2.1989, p. 1) Ð the Court, composed of: G. C.             agricultural products (OJ L 351 of 14.12.1987, p. 1) and
Rodríguez Iglesias, President, C. Gulmann (Rapporteur),              on the validity of Commission Decision 96/239/EC of