Judgment of the General Court of 15 November 2011 - El Coto de Rioja v OHIM - Álvarez Serrano (COTO DE GOMARIZ)

(Case T-276/10) 

(Community trade mark - Invalidity proceedings - Figurative Community mark COTO DE GOMARIZ - Prior Community word marks COTO DE IMAZ and EL COTO - Relative ground for refusal - Likelihood of confusion - Similarity of the signs - Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

Language of the case: Spanish

Parties

Applicant: El Coto de Rioja, SA (Oyón, Spain) (represented by: J. Grimau Muñoz and J. Villamor Muguerza, lawyers)

Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: J. Crespo Carrillo, acting as Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM: María Álvarez Serrano (Gomariz Leiro, Spain)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 28 April 2010 (Case R 1020/2008-4) concerning invalidity proceedings between El Coto de Rioja, SA and Ms María Álvarez Serrano.

Operative part of the judgment

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) of 28 April 2010 (Case R 1020/2008-4) in so far as the assessment of the Board of Appeal as to the similarity of the signs in question is incorrect;

2.    Dismisses the remainder of the action;

3.    Orders OHIM to pay the costs.

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¹ - OJ C 234, 28.8.2010.