Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 8 December 2021 –
Cyprus v EUIPO – Fontana Food (GRILLOUMI)

(Case T‑556/19)

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark GRILLOUMI – Earlier national certification word marks ΧΑΛΛΟΥΜΙ HALLOUMI – Relative ground for refusal – No likelihood of confusion – Similarity between services and goods – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 29-31)

2.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 – Criteria for assessment – Complementary nature of the goods or services

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 38, 40, 41)

3.      EU trade mark – Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 mark GRILLOUMI – Word marks ΧΑΛΛΟΥΜΙ HALLOUMI

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 39, 42, 43, 45)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 29 May 2019 (Case R 1284/2018-4) relating to opposition proceedings between the Republic of Cyprus and Fontana Food.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 29 May 2019 (Case R 1284/2018-4);

2. Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and to pay those incurred by the Republic of Cyprus;

3. Orders Fontana Food AB to bear its own costs.