Judgment of the General Court of 21 February 2024 – Hoffmann v EUIPO – Moldex/Metric (Holex)
(Case T-767/22) 1
(EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for the EU word mark Holex – Earlier EU figurative mark MOLDEX – Relative ground for refusal – Proof of genuine use – No likelihood of confusion – Similarity of the goods – Similarity of the signs – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)
Language of the case: German
Parties
Applicant: Hoffmann GmbH Qualitätswerkzeuge (Munich, Germany) (represented by: D. von Schultz, lawyer)
Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: A. Ringelhann and T. Klee, Agents)
Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Moldex/Metric AG & Co. KG (Walddorfhäslach, Germany) (represented by: T. Krüger, lawyer)
Re:
By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the partial annulment and the variation of the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 30 September 2022 (Case R 1248/2022-2).
Operative part of the judgment
The Court:
1. Annuls points 1 and 2 of the operative part of the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 30 September 2022 (Case R 1248/2022-2);
2. Dismisses the appeal brought by Moldex/Metric AG & Co. KG before the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO in so far as it concerns the goods referred to in point 1 of the operative part of the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 30 September 2022 (Case R 1248/2022-2);
3. Orders EUIPO to pay, in addition to its own costs, those incurred by Hoffmann GmbH Qualitätswerkzeuge;
4. Orders Moldex/Metric to pay its own costs.
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1 OJ C 35, 30.1.2023.