This document is an excerpt from the EUR-Lex website
Document 62022TJ0175
Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 15 March 2023.
Novartis AG v European Union Intellectual Property Office.
EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark BREZTRI – Earlier EU word marks ONBREZ, BREZILIZER and BREEZHALER – No likelihood of confusion – Lack of enhanced distinctiveness of the earlier marks – Article 60(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Article 27(3)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2018/625.
Case T-175/22.
Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 15 March 2023.
Novartis AG v European Union Intellectual Property Office.
EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark BREZTRI – Earlier EU word marks ONBREZ, BREZILIZER and BREEZHALER – No likelihood of confusion – Lack of enhanced distinctiveness of the earlier marks – Article 60(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Article 27(3)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2018/625.
Case T-175/22.
ECLI identifier: ECLI:EU:T:2023:135
Judgment of the General Court (Eighth Chamber) of 15 March 2023 –
Novartis v EUIPO – AstraZeneca (BREZTRI)
(Case T‑175/22) ( 1 )
(EU trade mark – Invalidity proceedings – EU word mark BREZTRI – Earlier EU word marks ONBREZ, BREZILIZER and BREEZHALER – No likelihood of confusion – Lack of enhanced distinctiveness of the earlier marks – Article 60(1)(a) and Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 – Article 27(3)(b) of Regulation (EU) 2018/625)
1. |
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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Enhanced distinctiveness of the earlier mark – Criteria for assessment (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 15, 16, 74-77, 88, 89, 94) |
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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Assessment of the likelihood of confusion – Determination of the relevant public – Attention level of the public – Medicinal products (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 18, 22, 91) |
3. |
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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Word mark BREZTRI – Word marks ONBREZ, BREZILIZER and BREEZHALER (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 25, 39, 48, 50, 52, 61, 63, 65, 82-84, 101) |
4. |
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 – Similarity of the marks concerned – Criteria for assessment – Composite mark – Assessment of the distinctive character of an element of which a trade mark is composed (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 26, 29, 30, 38, 47, 51) |
5. |
EU trade mark – Decisions of EUIPO – Legality – Examination by the EU judicature – Criteria (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001) (see paragraph 37) |
6. |
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 – Likelihood of confusion with the earlier mark – Likelihood of association – Earlier marks exhibiting characteristics enabling them to be regarded as forming part of the same series or family – Conditions (European Parliament and Council Regulation 2017/1001, Arts 8(1)(b) and 60(1)(a)) (see paragraphs 97-99) |
Operative part
The Court:
1. |
Dismisses the action; |
2. |
Orders Novartis AG to pay the costs. |
( 1 ) OJ C 207, 23.5.2022.