Judgment of the Court of First Instance of 25 March 2009 - Anheuser-Busch v OHIM - Budějovický Budvar (BUDWEISER)
(Community trade mark - Opposition proceedings - Application for Community word mark BUDWEISER - Earlier international word and figurative marks BUDWEISER and Budweiser Budvar - Relative grounds for refusal - Article 8(1)(a) and (b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 - Genuine use of the earlier trade mark - Article 43(2) and (3) of Regulation No 40/94 - Infringement of rights of defence - Statement of reasons - Article 73 of Regulation No 40/94 - Late submission of documents - Discretion granted by Article 74(2) of Regulation No 40/94)
Language of the case: English
Parties
Applicant: Anheuser-Busch, Inc. (Saint Louis, Missouri, United States) (represented by: V. von Bomhard and A. Renck, lawyers)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: A. Folliard-Monguiral, acting as Agent)
Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM, intervening before the Court of First Instance: Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik (České Budějovice, Czech Republic) (represented by: K. Čermák, lawyer)
Re:
Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 20 March 2007 (Case R 299/2006-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik and Anheuser-Busch, Inc.
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
Dismisses the action;
Orders Anheuser-Busch, Inc. to bear, in addition to its own costs, the costs of OHIM and Budějovický Budvar, národní podnik.
____________1 - OJ C 183, 4.8.2007.