Judgment of the General Court (Second Chamber) of 9 April 2014 — Comsa v OHIM — COMSA (COMSA)

(Case T‑144/12)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for Community word mark COMSA — Earlier company name Comsa, SA — Relative ground for refusal — Lack of use in the course of trade of a sign of more than mere local significance — Similarity of the services — Article 8(4) 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 holder of an unregistered mark or other sign used in trade — Conditions — Use of the sign in trade (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(4)) (see paras 17, 24)

2.                     Community trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the Community trade mark — Relative grounds for refusal — Opposition by the holder of an unregistered mark or other sign used in trade — Word mark COMSA and company name Comsa, SA (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(4)) (see paras 28, 29, 65-68)

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 — Similarity between the goods or services in question — Criteria for assessment — Complementary nature of the goods (Council Regulation No 40/94, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 34, 44, 57)

4.                     Community trade mark — Decisions of the Office — Principle of equal treatment — Principle of sound administration — OHIM’s previous decision-making practice — Principle of legality — Need for a strict and complete examination in each particular case (Council Regulation No 40/94) (see para. 49)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 10 January 2012 (Joined cases R 518/2011-2 and R 795/2011-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Comsa, SA and Constructora de obras municipales, SA (COMSA).

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 10 January 2012 (Joined cases R 518/2011-2 and R 795/2011-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Comsa, SA and Constructora de obras municipales, SA (COMSA), in so far as it annulled the decision of the Opposition Division with respect to the services in Class 42 and authorised registration of the mark applied for in relation to those same services;

2. Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3. Orders Comsa to bear its own costs and to pay three quarters of the costs incurred by OHIM. Orders OHIM to bear one quarter of its costs.