Judgment of the General Court of 20 December 2023 – Pierre Balmain v EUIPO – Story Time (Representation of a lion’s head encircled by rings forming a chain)

(Case T-564/22) ¹

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for an EU figurative mark representing a lion’s head encircled by rings forming a chain – Earlier national figurative mark representing a lion’s head encircled by dots – Relative ground for refusal – Distinctive character of the earlier mark – No likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Pierre Balmain (Paris, France) (represented by: J.M. Iglesias Monravá and S. Mainar Roger, lawyers)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: M. Eberl, acting as Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO: Story Time sp. z o.o. (Poznań, Poland)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment of the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 21 June 2022 (Case R 96/2022-4).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.    Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 21 June 2022 (Case R 96/2022-4);

2.    Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by Pierre Balmain.

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¹     OJ C 424, 7.11.2022.