Provisional text

Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 28 April 2016 —
Fon Wireless v EUIPO — Henniger (Neofon)

(Case T‑777/14)

EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU word mark Neofon — Earlier national word mark FON — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009

1.                     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 — Not included (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65) (see para. 20)

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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 23, 52, 64, 65)

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 Neofon and FON (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 25, 26, 45, 46, 50, 51, 62, 66)

4.                     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 — Coexistence of earlier marks — Recognition of a certain degree of distinctiveness of a national mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 57)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 15 September 2014 (Case R 2519/2013-4), relating to opposition proceedings between Fon Wireless Ltd and Andreas Henniger.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 15 September 2014 (Case R 2519/2013-4);

2. Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Fon Wireless Ltd;

3. Orders Mr Andreas Henniger to bear his own costs.