Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 15 September 2021 –
Laboratorios Ern v EUIPO – Le-Vel Brands (Le-Vel)

(Case T‑331/20)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark Le-Vel – Earlier national word mark LEVEL – Relative ground for refusal – No likelihood of confusion – No similarity of the goods and services – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 – Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 15, 16)

2.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 between the goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment – Complementary nature of the goods or services

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 18, 19)

3.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 – Word marks Le-Vel and LEVEL

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 25, 35, 45, 51, 58, 63)

4.      EU trade mark – Appeals procedure – Action before the EU judicature – Jurisdiction of the General Court – Re-evaluation of the facts in the light of evidence produced for the first time before it – Precluded

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65)

(see para. 30)

5.      EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Legality – Examination by the EU judicature – Criteria

(Council Regulation No 207/2009)

(see paras 49, 50)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 20 March 2020 (Case R 2113/2019-4), relating to opposition proceedings between Laboratorios Ern and Le-Vel Brands.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Laboratorios Ern, SA, to pay the costs.