Judgment of the General Court of 6 October 2011 - Honda Motor v OHIM - Blok (BLAST)
(Community trade mark - Opposition proceedings - Application for the Community word mark BLAST - Earlier Community and Benelux word marks BLAST - Relative ground for refusal - Likelihood of confusion - Article 8(1)(b) of Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 - Weak distinctive character of the earlier marks)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Honda Motor Co. Ltd (Tokyo, Japan) (represented by: M. Graf, lawyer)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: M. Ahlgren, Agent)
Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM: Hendrik Blok (Oudenaarde, Belgium)
Re:
ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 16 July 2009 (Case R 1097/2008-1), relating to opposition proceedings between Mr Hendrik Blok and Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders Honda Motor Co. Ltd to pay the costs.
____________1 - OJ C 312, 19.12.2009.