Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 16 May 2013 — Nath Kalsi v OHIM — American Clothing Associates (RIDGE WOOD)

(Case T‑80/11)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community figurative mark RIDGE WOOD — Earlier Community figurative mark River Woods North-Eastern Suppliers — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009

1.                     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 18, 19, 58)

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 — Figurative marks RIDGE WOOD and River Woods North-Eastern Suppliers (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 21, 22, 45, 51, 52, 56, 57, 64, 65)

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 — Complementary nature of the goods or services (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 23, 24, 29, 30)

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 — Complex mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 33, 34)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 19 November 2010 in Case R 599/2010-1, relating to opposition proceedings between, on the one hand, American Clothing Associates and, on the other hand, Dwarka Nath Kalsi and Ajit Nath Kalsi.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 19 November 2010 (Case R 1073/2010-2) in so far as it concerns goods in Class 24 covered by the mark applied for and the services ‘processing and finishing of skins, leather, furs and textiles’ in Class 40 and covered by the earlier mark No 2785459;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders Dwarka Nath Kalsi and Ajit Nath Kalsi, and OHIM each to bear their own costs;

4. Orders American Clothing Associates to bear its own costs.