Judgment of the General Court of 17 September 2015 — Bankia v OHIM — Banco ActivoBank (Portugal) (Bankia)

(Case T-323/14) ¹

(Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the Community figurative mark Bankia — Earlier national word mark BANKY — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009)

Language of the case: English

Parties

Applicant: Bankia, SA (Valencia, Spain) (represented by: F. De Barba, lawyer)

Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (represented by: G. Schneider, acting as Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of OHIM: Banco ActivoBank (Portugal), SA (Lisbon, Portugal)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of OHIM of 14 February 2014 (Joined Cases R 649/2013-2 and R 744/2013-2) relating to opposition proceedings between Banco ActivoBank (Portugal), SA, and Bankia, SA.

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

Annuls the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) (OHIM) of 14 February 2014 (Joined Cases R 649/2013-2 and R 744/2013-2) to the extent that it upheld the appeal of Banco ActivoBank (Portugal), SA, concerning the ‘real estate services’ covered by the Community trade mark application in Class 36;

Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

Orders Bankia, SA, and OHIM to bear their own costs.

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¹     OJ C 261, 11.8.2014.