Judgment of the General Court of 21 February 2024 – L’Oréal v EUIPO – Samar’t Pharma (BI blue pigment)

(Case T-180/23) ¹

(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU figurative mark BI blue pigment – Earlier EU figurative mark Bi.cell – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: L’Oréal (Paris, France) (represented by: T. de Haan and S. Vandezande, lawyers)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: M. Eberl, acting as Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO: Samar’t Pharma, SL (Vilamalla, Spain)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment of the decision of the Fourth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 17 January 2023 (Case R 1102/2022-4).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.    Dismisses the action;

2.    Orders L’Oréal and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to bear their own costs.

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¹     OJ C 179, 22.5.2023