Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 10 July 2012 —
Clorox v OHIM —
Industrias Alen (CLORALEX)

(Case T-135/11)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community word mark CLORALEX — Earlier national word marks CLOROX — 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 — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Criteria (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 17, 22, 44)

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 — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Attention level of the public (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 19)

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 — Word marks CLORALEX and CLOROX (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 20, 43, 46)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 16 December 2010 (Case R 521/2009‑4) concerning opposition proceedings between The Clorox Company and Industrias Alen SA de CV.

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 16 December 2010 (Case R 521/2009‑4);

2. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and pay the costs incurred by The Clorox Company;

3. Orders Industrias Alen SA de CV to bear its own costs.