Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 4 March 2015 —
FSA v OHIM — Motokit Veículos e Acessórios (FSA K-FORCE)

(Case T‑558/13)

Community trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — Community word mark FSA K-FORCE — Earlier Community word mark FORCE-X — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Obligation to state reasons — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Jurisdiction of the General Court — Declaratory judgments — Not included (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 65(3)) (see para. 14)

2.                     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 — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 19-21, 53)

3.                     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 between the goods or services in question — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 31-33)

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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Word marks FSA K-FORCE and FORCE-X (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 54-60)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 5 August 2013 (Case R 436/2012‑2), relating to invalidity proceedings between Motokit Veículos e Acessórios, SA and FSA Srl.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 5 August 2013 (Case R 436/2012‑2);

2. Orders OHIM to pay the costs.