Judgment of the General Court (Third Chamber) of 7 July 2015 —
Alpinestars Research v OHIM — Tung Cho and Wang Yu (A ASTER)

(Case T‑521/13)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the Community figurative mark A ASTER — Earlier Community word mark A-STARS — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Similarity of the signs — 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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 16, 17, 23, 24)

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 54, 55)

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 mark A ASTER and word mark A-STARS (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 61-64)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 15 July 2013 (Case R 2309/2012-4), relating to opposition proceedings between Alpinestars Research Srl, on the one hand, and Kean Tung Cho and Ling-Yuan Wang Yu, on the other hand.

Operative part

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) (OHIM) of 15 July 2013 (Case R 2309/2012-4);

2. Orders OHIM to pay the costs.