Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 15 March 2018 — Marriott Worldwide v EUIPO — Graf (Representation of a winged bull)

(Case T‑151/17)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — EU figurative mark representing a winged bull — Earlier EU and national figurative marks representing a griffin — Relative ground for refusal — Similarity of the signs — Article 53(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 60(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Earlier copyright protected by national law — Article 53(2)(c) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 60(2)(c) of Regulation 2017/1001) — Examination of the facts of the Office’s own motion — Article 76(1) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 95(1) of Regulation 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark — Appeals procedure — Appeal brought against a decision of a unit of the Office ruling at first instance and referred to the Board of Appeal — Functional continuity between those two bodies — Examination of the appeal by the Board of Appeal — Scope

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76)

(see para. 15)

2.      EU trade mark — Procedural provisions — Examination of the facts of the Office’s own motion — Invalidity proceedings concerning absolute grounds for refusal — Examination restricted to the submissions of the parties

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 76(1))

(see para. 16)

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 — Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 30, 31)

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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 34)

5.      EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Figurative mark representing a winged bull and figurative marks representing a griffin

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 36-39, 42-45)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 17 January 2017 (Case R 165/2016-4), relating to invalidity proceedings between Marriott Worldwide and Mr Graf.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 17 January 2017 (Case R 165/2016-4);

2. Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Marriott Worldwide Corp.;

3. Orders Mr Johann Graf to bear his own costs.