Judgment of the General Court (Seventh Chamber) of 27 September 2018 –
TenneT Holding v EUIPO — Ngrid Intellectual Property (NorthSeaGrid)

(Case T‑70/17)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark NorthSeaGrid — Earlier EU word and figurative marks nationalgrid — Relative ground for refusal — No likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 — Refusal to register on a ground relating to refusal even limited to part of the Union

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 44)

2.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU 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

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 45)

3.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU 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

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 50)

4.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 — Figurative mark NorthSeaGrid and figurative and word marks nationalgrid

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 59, 143, 144, 150, 151)

5.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark — Determination of the dominant elements(s)

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 60, 61, 66)

6.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 of the marks concerned — Assessment of the distinctiveness of an element composing a trade mark

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 67-69)

7.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU trade mark — Absolute grounds for refusal — Marks composed exclusively of signs or indications capable of designating the characteristics of a product or service — Assessment of the descriptive nature of a sign — Geographical names

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 7(1)(c))

(see paras 82-86)

8.      EU trade mark — Definition and acquisition of the EU 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 of the marks concerned — Possibility of a visual similarity between a figurative mark and a word mark

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see para. 122)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 21 November 2016 (Case R 1607/2015-5) relating to opposition proceedings between Ngrid Intellectual Property and TenneT Holding.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Annuls paragraph 1 of the operative part of the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 21 November 2016 (Case R 1607/2015-5) relating to opposition proceedings between Ngrid Intellectual Property Ltd and TenneT Holding BV;

2. Orders EUIPO to pay, in addition to its own costs, those incurred by TenneT Holding BV;

3. Orders Ngrid Intellectual Property to bear its own costs.

2. Orders EUIPO to pay, in addition to its own costs, those incurred by TenneT Holding BV;

3. Orders Ngrid Intellectual Property to bear its own costs.

3. Orders Ngrid Intellectual Property to bear its own costs.