Judgment of the General Court (Ninth Chamber) of 24 January 2019 –
Ilhan v EUIPO — Time Gate (BIG SAM SPORTSWEAR COMPANY)

(Case T‑785/17)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — International registration designating the European Union — Figurative mark BIG SAM SPORTSWEAR COMPANY — Earlier word mark SAM — Relative ground for refusal — Extinction of rights due to acquiescence — Evidence presented for the first time before the General Court — Article 54(2) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 61(2) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001))

1.      EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Limitation through acquiescence — Limitation period — Point from which time starts to run

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 54(1))

(see paras 20, 21)

2.      EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Criteria for assessment

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 40, 41, 43, 51, 75)

3.      EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Similarity of the marks concerned — Visual similarity between a figurative mark and a word mark

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

(see para. 63)

4.      EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Earlier trade mark constituted by an EU trade 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. 71)

5.      EU trade mark — Surrender, revocation and invalidity — Relative grounds for invalidity — Existence of an identical or similar earlier mark registered for identical or similar goods or services — Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark — Figurative mark BIG SAM SPORTSWEAR COMPANY and word mark SAM

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Arts 8(1)(b) and 53(1)(a))

(see paras 79-82)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 13 September 2017 (Case R 974/2016-5) relating to invalidity proceedings between Time Gate and Mr Ilhan.

Operative part

The Court:

1. Dismisses the action;

2. Orders Mr Ercan Ilhan to pay the costs.