Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 20 October 2011 – COR Sitzmöbel Helmut Lübke v OHIM – El Corte Inglés (COR)

(Case T-214/09)

Community trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for territorial extension of the protection of an international registration – Word mark COR – Earlier Community word mark CADENACOR – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009) – Similarity of the signs – Similarity of the goods

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 (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 23, 37, 66, 70-72)

Re:

APPLICATION for annulment of the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 4 March 2009 (Case R 376/2008-2) concerning opposition proceedings between El Corte Inglés, SA, and COR Sitzmöbel Helmut Lübke GmbH & Co. KG.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders COR Sitzmöbel Helmut Lübke GmbH & Co. KG to pay the costs.