Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 20 October 2011 – Poloplast v OHIM – Polypipe (P)

(Case T-189/09)

Community trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for Community figurative trade mark P – Earlier figurative Community marks P and P POLYPIPE – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Similarity of the signs – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

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 (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b))

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 25 February 2009 (Case R 80/2008-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Polypipe Ltd and Poloplast GmbH & Co. KG.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Poloplast GmbH & Co. KG to pay the costs, including the costs necessarily incurred by Polypipe Ltd for the purposes of the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM).