Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 20 October 2021 –
Intis v EUIPO – Televes (TELEVEND)

(Case T‑112/20)

(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark TELEVEND – Earlier EU word mark TELEVES – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 19, 64)

2.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Assessment of the likelihood of confusion – Determination of the relevant public – Attention level of the public

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))

(see para. 20)

3.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Similarity between the goods or services in question – Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 27, 36)

4.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Similarity of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment – Composite mark

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 47, 52, 53)

5.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Word marks TELEVEND and TELEVES

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 68, 70)

6.      EU trade mark – Surrender, revocation and invalidity – Relative grounds for invalidity – Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Weighing elements of similarity or difference between the signs – Objective marketing considerations to be taken into account

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b), and 53(1)(a))

(see para. 69)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 12 December 2019 (Case R 1923/2019-5), relating to invalidity proceedings between Televes and Intis.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Intis d.o.o. to pay the costs.