Judgment of the Court of First Instance of 16 December 2008 - Budějovický Budvar v OHIM - Anheuser-Busch (BUD)
(Joined Cases T-225/06, T-255/06, T-257/06 and T-309/06) 1 (Community trade mark - Opposition proceedings - Applications for Community word and figurative marks BUD - Appellations 'bud' - Relative grounds for refusal - Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik (Česke Budějovice, Czech Republic) (represented by: F. Fajgenbaum and C. Petsch, lawyers)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: A. Folliard-Monguiral, acting as Agent)
Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM, intervening before the Court of First Instance: Anheuser-Busch, Inc. (Saint Louis, Missouri, United States) (represented: initially by V. von Bomhard, A. Renck, B. Goebel and A. Pohlmann, and subsequently by V. von Bomhard, A. Renck and B. Goebel, lawyers)
Re:
Actions brought against decisions of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 14 June 2006 (Case R 234/2005-2), 28 June 2006 (Cases R 241/2005-2 and R 802/2004-2) and 1 September 2006 (Case R 305/2005-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik and Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Orders the joinder of Cases T-225/06, T-255/06, T-257/06 and T-309/06 for the purposes of the judgment;
Annuls the decisions of the Second Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs (OHIM) of 14 June (Case R 234/2005-2), 28 June (Cases R 241/2005-2 and R 802/2004-2) and 1 September 2006 (Case R 305/2005-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik and Anheuser-Busch, Inc.;
Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and to pay two thirds of the costs of Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik;
Orders Anheuser-Busch to bear its own costs and to pay one third of the costs of Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik.
____________1 - OJ C 261, 28.10.2006.