Judgment of the General Court (Sixth Chamber) of 17 January 2019 –
ETI Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret v EUIPO — Grupo Bimbo (ETI Bumbo)

(Case T‑368/18)

(European Union trade mark — Opposition proceedings — Application for EU word mark ETI Bumbo — Earlier EU figurative mark BIMBO — Relative ground for refusal — Likelihood of confusion — Relevant public — Similarity of the signs — Distinctiveness of the earlier mark — Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001)

1. 

Judicial proceedings — Application initiating proceedings — Formal requirements — Identification of the subject-matter of the dispute — Brief summary of the pleas in law on which the application is based — Application not sufficiently clear and precise — Inadmissibility

(Statute of the Court of Justice, Arts 21, first para., and 53, first para.; Rules of Procedure of the General Court, Art. 177(1)(d))

(see para. 19)

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

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 25, 73, 74)

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

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 27, 31)

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 — Similarity of the marks concerned — Criteria for assessment — Composite mark

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 38-41, 60)

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 — Word mark ETI Bumbo and figurative mark BIMBO

(European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Art. 8(1)(b))

(see paras 47, 51, 64, 69, 72, 78, 79)

Re:

Action brought against the decision of the First Board of Appeal of EUIPO of 11 April 2018 (Case R 1459/2017-1), relating to opposition proceedings between Grupo Bimbo and ETI Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret.

Operative part

The Court:

1. 

Dismisses the action;

2. 

Orders ETI Gıda Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ to pay the costs.