Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 24 September 2015 —
Primagaz v OHIM — Reeh (PRIMA KLIMA)

(Case T‑195/14)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community figurative mark PRIMA KLIMA — Earlier Community figurative mark PRIMAGAZ — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Relevant public — Similarity of goods and services — Similarity of the signs — Distinctive character of a laudatory word element — Conceptual comparison — Distinctive character of the earlier mark — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009

1.                     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 17, 18)

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 — Figurative marks PRIMA KLIMA and PRIMAGAZ (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 22, 23, 94-100)

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 — Similarity between the goods or services in question — Complementary nature of the goods or services (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 24, 31, 34)

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 (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 38-43, 50)

5.                     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 — Weak distinctive character of the earlier mark — Effect (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 94, 97)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of OHIM of 7 January 2014 (Case R 2304/2012-1), relating to opposition proceedings between Compagnie des gaz de pétrole Primagaz SA and Mr Gerhard Reeh.

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 7 January 2014 (Case R 2304/2012-1) in so far as the Board of Appeal dismissed the action before it as regards the goods ‘apparatus for lighting, heating, drying and ventilating; activated carbon filters for ventilation purposes’;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders each party to bear its own costs.