Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 23 September 2015 — Appelrath-Cüpper v OHIM — Ann Christine Lizenzmanagement (AC)

(Case T‑60/13)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for figurative Community trade mark AC — Earlier figurative national and international trade marks AC ANN CHRISTINE and earlier figurative Community trade marks AC ANN CHRISTINE OCEAN and AC ANN CHRISTINE INTIMATE — Relative ground for refusal — No 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 — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 21, 22, 43)

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 mark AC and figurative marks AC ANN CHRISTINE, AC ANN CHRISTINE OCEAN and AC ANN CHRISTINE INTIMATE (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 23, 24, 52)

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 of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 27, 28)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 28 November 2012 (Case R 108/2012-4), concerning opposition proceedings between Ann Christine Lizenzmanagement GmbH & Co. KG and Reiner Appelrath-Cüpper Nachf. GmbH.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 28 November 2012 (Case R 108/2012-4) in so far as it upheld in part the opposition brought by Ann Christine Lizenzmanagement GmbH & Co. KG;

2. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and to pay half the costs incurred by Reiner Appelrath-Cüpper Nachf. GmbH;

3. Orders Ann Christine Lizenzmanagement GmbH & Co. KG to bear its own costs and to pay half the costs incurred by Reiner Appelrath-Cüpper Nachf. GmbH for the purposes of the proceedings before the Board of Appeal.