Judgment of the General Court (First Chamber) of 20 November 2017 – Stada Arzneimittel v EUIPO – Urgo recherche innovation and développement (Immunostad)

(Case T-403/16)

(EU trade mark — Invalidity proceedings — Application for the EU word mark Immunostad — Earlier national word mark ImmunoStim — Relative ground for refusal — Similarity of the trade marks — Likelihood of confusion — Article 8(1)(b) and Article 53(1)(a) of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) and Article 60(1)( a) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Non-negligible part of the relevant public — Obligation to state reasons — Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 94 of Regulation 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–Criteria for assessment

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

(see paras 13, 14, 40, 41, 49, 50, 66)

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–Word marks Immunostad and ImmunoStim

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

(see paras 16, 17, 60)

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 of the marks concerned–Criteria for assessment

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

(see para. 18)

4. 

EU trade mark–Procedural provisions–Statement of reasons for decisions

(Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence)

(see para. 65)

Re:

ACTION brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 19 April 2016 (Case R 863/2015-5), relating to invalidity proceedings between Vivatech and Stada Arzneimittel.

Operative part

The General Court:

1.

Dismisses the action;

2.

Orders Stada Arzneimittel AG to pay the costs.