Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 13 May 2015 —
easyGroup IP Licensing v OHIM — Tui (easyAir-tours)

(Case T‑608/13)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the Community figurative mark easyAir-tours — Earlier national figurative mark airtours Ticket Factory — Relative ground for refusal — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — No similarity between the signs — No likelihood of confusion — Power to alter decisions — Article 65(3) of Regulation No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Action before the EU judicature — Power of the General Court to alter the contested decision — Limits (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 64(1), second sentence, and 65(3)) (see paras 20, 68-70)

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 — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 24, 59, 65)

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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Figurative marks easyAir-tours and airtours Ticket Factory (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 25, 26, 60, 64, 66)

4.                     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 — Composite mark — Weak distinctive character of the dominant element (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 32, 33, 36, 47, 50)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 5 September 2013 (Case R 1029/2012‑1), relating to opposition proceedings between Tui AG and easyGroup IP Licensing Ltd.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the First Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 5 September 2013 (Case R 1029/2012‑1);

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by easyGroup IP Licensing Ltd;

4. Orders Tui AG to bear its own costs.