Judgment of the General Court of 14 December 2011 - Völkl v OHIM - Marker Völkl (VÖLKL)

(Case T-504/09) 

(Community trade mark - Opposition proceedings - Application for Community word mark VÖLKL - Earlier international word mark VÖLKL - Relative ground for refusal - Likelihood of confusion - Refusal in part of registration - Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 - Genuine use of the earlier mark - Article 42(2) and (3) of Regulation No 207/2009 and Rule 22(3) of Regulation (EC) No 2868/95 - Competence of the Board of Appeal in the case of an appeal limited to part of the goods or services covered by the application for registration - Article 64(1) of Regulation No 207/2009 - Application for variation of the decision of the Board of Appeal - Article 65(3) of Regulation No 207/2009)

Language of the case: German

Parties

Applicant: Völkl GmbH & Co. KG (Erding, Germany) (represented by: C. Raßmann, lawyer)

Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: S. Hanne, Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM: Marker Völkl International GmbH (Baar, Switzerland) (represented by: J. Bauer, lawyer)

Re:

Action against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 30 September 2009 (Case R 1387/2008-1) concerning opposition proceedings between Marker Völkl International GmbH and Völkl GmbH & Co. KG.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 30 September 2009 (Case R 1387/2008 1);

Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and pay those incurred by Völkl GmbH & Co. KG;

Orders Marker Völkl International GmbH to bear its own costs.

____________

¹ - OJ C 37, 13.2.2010.