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Document 62024TA0481

Case T-481/24: Judgment of the General Court of 10 December 2025 – Savencia v EUIPO – Hofmeister (Shape of a cheese) (EU trade mark – Opposition proceedings – International registration designating the European Union – Three-dimensional mark in the shape of a cheese – Earlier three-dimensional national marks – Relative ground for refusal – Likelihood of confusion – Global assessment of the likelihood of confusion – Distinctive character of the earlier mark – Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

OJ C, C/2026/643, 9.2.2026, ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/643/oj (BG, ES, CS, DA, DE, ET, EL, EN, FR, GA, HR, IT, LV, LT, HU, MT, NL, PL, PT, RO, SK, SL, FI, SV)

ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/643/oj

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Official Journal
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C/2026/643

9.2.2026

Judgment of the General Court of 10 December 2025 – Savencia v EUIPO – Hofmeister (Shape of a cheese)

(Case T-481/24)  (1)

(EU trade mark - Opposition proceedings - International registration designating the European Union - Three-dimensional mark in the shape of a cheese - Earlier three-dimensional national marks - Relative ground for refusal - Likelihood of confusion - Global assessment of the likelihood of confusion - Distinctive character of the earlier mark - Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

(C/2026/643)

Language of the case: German

Parties

Applicant: Savencia SA (Viroflay, France) (represented by: G. Brox, F. Hagemann and A. Berger, lawyers)

Defendant: European Union Intellectual Property Office (represented by: T. Klee, acting as Agent)

Other party to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal of EUIPO, intervener before the General Court: Hofmeister Vermögensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG (Lauben, Germany) (represented by: F. Pfefferkorn, lawyer)

Re:

By its action under Article 263 TFEU, the applicant seeks the annulment of the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 8 July 2024 (Joined Cases R 1920/2022-5 and R 1941/2022-5).

Operative part of the judgment

The Court:

1.

Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 8 July 2024 (Joined Cases R 1920/2022-5 and R 1941/2022-5);

2.

Dismisses the action as to the remainder;

3.

Orders EUIPO to bear its own costs and pay those incurred by Savencia SA for the purposes of the proceedings before the General Court;

4.

Orders Hofmeister Vermögensverwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG to bear its own costs incurred in the proceedings before the General Court.


(1)   OJ C, C/2024/6447, 4. 11. 2024.


ELI: http://data.europa.eu/eli/C/2026/643/oj

ISSN 1977-091X (electronic edition)


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