Judgment of the General Court of 18 May 2011 - Habanos v OHIM - Tabacos de Centroamérica (KIOWA)
(Community trade mark - Opposition proceedings - Application for Community figurative mark KIOWA - Earlier Community and national figurative marks COHIBA - Relative ground for refusal - No likelihood of confusion - No similarity of signs - Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 40/94 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009))
Language of the case: Spanish
Parties
Applicant: Corporación Habanos, SA (Havana, Cuba) (represented initially by V. Gil Vega and A. Ruiz López, and subsequently by A. Ruiz López, lawyers)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: J. Crespo Carrillo, Agent)
Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM, intervener before the Court: Tabacos de Centroamérica, SL (Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain) (represented by: R.M. Caldés Llopis, lawyer)
Re:
Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 31 March 2008 (Case R 1189/2007-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Corporación Habanos, SA and Tabacos de Centroamérica, SL.
Operative part of the judgment
1. The action is dismissed;
2. Corporación Habanos, SA is ordered to bear its own costs and pay those of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM);
3. Tabacos de Centroamérica, SL is ordered to bear its own costs.
____________1 - OJ C 209, 15.08.2008.