Judgment of the General Court of 6 October 2021 – Indo European Foods v EUIPO – Chakari (Abresham Super Basmati Selaa Grade One World’s Best Rice)

(Case T-342/20) ¹

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for EU figurative mark Abresham Super Basmati Selaa Grade One World’s Best Rice – Earlier non-registered word mark BASMATI – Agreement on the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union and Euratom – Transition period – Interest in bringing proceedings – Relative ground for refusal – Article 8(4) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(4) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) – Rules governing common law actions for passing off – Likelihood of misrepresentation – Likelihood of dilution of the reputation of the earlier mark)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Indo European Foods Ltd (Harrow, United Kingdom) (represented by: A. Norris, Barrister, and N. Welch, Solicitor)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: H. O’Neill and V. Ruzek, acting as Agents)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO: Hamid Ahmad Chakari (Vienna, Austria)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 2 April 2020 (Case R 1079/2019 4), relating to opposition proceedings between Indo European Foods and Mr Chakari.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Annuls the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 2 April 2020 (Case R 1079/2019-4);

Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

Orders EUIPO to pay the costs, including the costs necessarily incurred by Indo European Foods Ltd for the purposes of the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO.

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¹     OJ C 262, 10.8.2020.