Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 21 February 2018 –
Laboratoire Nuxe v EUIPO — Camille and Tariot (NYouX)

(Case T‑179/17)

(EU trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU figurative mark NYouX — Earlier national word mark NUXE — Obligation to state reasons — First sentence of Article 75 of Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 (now first sentence of Article 94(1) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001) — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Similarity of the goods — Similarity of the signs — Distinctive character — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation No 207/2009 (now Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation 2017/1001))

1. 

EU trade mark—Procedural provisions—Statement of reasons for decisions—First sentence of Article 75 of Regulation No 207/2009—Scope identical to that of Article 296 TFEU

(Art. 296 TFEU; Council Regulation No 207/2009, Art. 75, first sentence)

(see paras 20, 21)

2. 

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 24-26, 46)

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—Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark—Assessment of the likelihood of confusion—Determination of the relevant public—Attention level of the public

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

(see para. 47)

4. 

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—Figurative mark NYouX and word mark NUXE

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

(see paras 48, 49, 54-58, 68-76)

5. 

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—Similarity of the marks concerned

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

(see paras 51, 56)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 16 January 2017 (Case R 718/2016-5), relating to opposition proceedings between, on the one hand, Laboratoire Nuxe and, on the other, Ms Camille and Mr Tariot.

Operative part

The Court:

1. 

Annuls the decision of the Fifth Board of Appeal of the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) of 16 January 2017 (Case R 718/2016-5);

2. 

Orders EUIPO to pay the costs.