Judgments (Information) nº T-197/12 of The General Court, July 11, 2013

• Resolution Date: July 11, 2013
• Issuing Organization: The General Court
• Decision Number: T-197/12

Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 11 July 2013 —Metropolis Inmobiliarias y Restauraciones v OHIM — MIP Metro (METRO) (Case T‑197/12)

Community trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for the Community figurative mark METRO — Earlier Community figurative mark GRUPOMETROPOLIS — Relative ground for refusal — No likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 — Right to a fair hearing — Article 6 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms — Articles 75 and 76 of Regulation (EC) 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 — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Criteria (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 29-32)

2. 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 — Assessment of the likelihood of confusion — Attention level of the public (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see para. 33)

3. 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 — Figurative marks METRO and GRUPOMETROPOLIS (Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 8(1)(b)) (see paras 37, 38, 50, 51)

4. 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 — Similarity between the goods or services in question — Criteria for assessment — Complementary nature of...