Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 13 April 2011 – Sociedad Agricola Requingua v OHIM – Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Toro (TORO DE PIEDRA)

(Case T-358/09)

Community trade mark – Opposition proceedings – Application for Community word mark TORO DE PIEDRA – Earlier Community figurative mark D. ORIGEN TORO – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Similarity of the signs – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 – Right to be heard – Duty to state reasons – Article 75 of Regulation 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 (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 27, 29, 40, 42)

2.                     Community trade mark – Procedural provisions – Decisions of the Office – Observance of the rights of the defence – Scope of the principle (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75) (see paras 51-52)

3.                     Community trade mark – Procedural provisions – Statement of reasons for decisions – Article 75, first sentence, of Regulation No 207/2009 – Scope identical to that of Article 253 EC (Art. 253 EC; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence) (see para. 57)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 18 June 2009 (Case R 1117/2008-2) concerning opposition proceedings between Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Toro and Sociedad Agricola Requingua Ltda.

Information relating to the case

Applicant for the Community trade mark:	Sociedad Agricola Requingua Ltda
Community trade mark sought:	Word mark TORO DE PIEDRA for goods in Class 33 – Application No 4000501
Proprietor of the mark or sign cited in the opposition proceedings:	Consejo Regulador de la Denominación de Origen Toro
Mark or sign cited in opposition:	Community trade mark registration of the figurative mark D. ORIGEN TORO for goods in Class 33; Spanish trade mark registration of the figurative mark Denominación de Origen TORO for goods in Class 33
Decision of the Opposition Division:	Opposition upheld
Decision of the Board of Appeal:	Appeal dismissed

Operative part

The Court:

1. 1. Dismisses the action;

2. 2. Orders Sociedad Agricola Requingua Ltda to pay the costs.