Judgment of the General Court (Fifth Chamber) of 9 April 2014 —

Farmaceutisk Laboratorium Ferring v OHIM — Tillotts Pharma (OCTASA)

(Case T‑501/12)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community word mark OCTASA — Earlier national word marks PENTASA — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — 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 19-21, 33, 67)

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 — Determination of the relevant public — Attention level of the public — Pharmaceutical products (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 22-24)

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 OCTASA and PENTASA (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 25, 31, 69)

Re:

ACTION against the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of OHIM of 6 September 2012 (Case R 1214/2011-4), concerning opposition proceedings between Farmaceutisk Laboratorium Ferring A/S and Tillotts Pharma AG.

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 6 September 2012 (Case R 1214/2011-4);

2. Orders OHIM to bear its own costs and to pay half of the costs incurred by Farmaceutisk Laboratorium Ferring A/S;

3. Orders Tillotts Pharma AG to bear its own costs and to pay half of the costs incurred by Farmaceutisk Laboratorium Ferring.