Judgment of the General Court (Fourth Chamber) of 11 September 2014 — El Corte Inglés v OHIM — Baumarkt Praktiker Deutschland (PRO OUTDOOR)

(Case T‑127/13)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the Community word mark PRO OUTDOOR — Earlier Community figurative mark OUTDOOR garden barbecue camping — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Subject-matter of the proceedings before the Board of Appeal — Articles 60 and 64(1) of Regulation No 207/2009

1.                     Community trade mark — Appeals procedure — Form of appeal and period within which it must be brought — Pleading setting out the grounds lodged within the period prescribed — Condition of admissibility (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 60; Commission Regulation No 2868/95, Art. 1, Rules 48(1)(c), and (2), and 49) (see paras 16-18)

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 — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 36, 37)

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 mark PRO OUTDOOR and figurative mark OUTDOOR garden barbecue camping (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 43, 61‑64)

4.                     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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 44‑46)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 11 December 2012 (Case R 1900/2011-2), relating to opposition proceedings between Baumarkt Praktiker Deutschland GmbH and El Corte Inglés, SA.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 11 December 2012 (Case R 1900/2011-2), relating to opposition proceedings between Baumarkt Praktiker Deutschland GmbH and El Corte Inglés, SA, in so far as the Board of Appeal did not rule on the claims of El Corte Inglés, SA regarding the likelihood of confusion between the marks at issue in relation to the goods at issue other than ‘data processing equipment and computers’ in Class 9;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders OHIM and El Corte Inglés, SA to bear their own costs.