Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 8 October 2015 —
Benediktinerabtei St. Bonifaz v OHIM — Andechser Molkerei Scheitz (Genuß für Leib & Seele KLOSTER Andechs SEIT 1455)
(Case T‑78/14)
Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community figurative mark Genuß für Leib & Seele KLOSTER Andechs SEIT 1455 — Earlier Community figurative mark SEIT 1908 ANDECHSER NATUR and earlier national figurative mark ANDECHSER NATUR — Relative ground for refusal — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009
1. Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Statement of reasons for decisions — Article 75, first sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009 — Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU (Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence) (see paras 18, 19)
2. Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Examination of the facts of the Office’s own motion — Opposition proceedings — Examination restricted to the submissions of the parties — Well-known facts taken into account (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76(1)) (see para. 26)
3. Community trade mark — Procedural provisions — Decisions of the Office — Observance of the rights of the defence — Scope of the principle (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, second sentence) (see para. 28)
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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Criteria (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 35, 55)
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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 38, 39)
6. 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 Genuß für Leib & Seele KLOSTER Andechs SEIT 1455 — Figurative marks SEIT 1908 ANDECHSER NATUR and ANDECHSER NATUR (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 49-54)
Re:
| ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 14 November 2013 (Case R 1272/2012‑1) relating to opposition proceedings between Andechser Molkerei Scheitz GmbH and Benediktinerabtei St. Bonifaz Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts. |
Operative part
The Court:
2. | | Orders Benediktinerabtei St. Bonifaz Körperschaft des öffentlichen Rechts to pay the costs. |