Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 12 July 2012 — Winzer Pharma v OHIM — Alcon (BAÑOFTAL)

(Case T-346/09)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community word mark BAÑOFTAL — Earlier national word marks KAN-OPHTAL and PAN-OPHTAL — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Rules on languages (Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Arts 130(1), and 131) (see paras 30, 32)

2.                     Procedure — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Pleas in law not set out in the application — General reference to other documents — Inadmissibility (Statute of the Court of Justice, Art. 21; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 44(1)(c)) (see para. 43)

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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 49, 105)

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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Word mark BAÑOFTAL — Word marks KAN-OPHTAL and PAN-OPHTAL (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 51, 64, 71, 103, 106)

5.                     Community trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of sound administration — OHIM’s previous decision-making practice (see para. 85)

6.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Prior registration of the trade mark in certain Member States — Effect (see para. 92)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 28 May 2009 (Case R 795/2008-1) relating to opposition proceedings between Dr Robert Winzer Pharma GmbH and Alcon Inc.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 28 May 2009 (Case R 795/2008‑1);

2. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Dr Robert Winzer Pharma GmbH;

3. Orders Alcon Inc. to bear its own costs.