B9 10107. Gerecht EU, 9 september 2011, T-274/09, Deutsche Bahn tegen OHIM / DSB (IC4).
Merkenrecht. Oppositieprocedure o.g.v. woordmerk ICE (de bekende treinen) en beeldmerk IC en van Deutsche Bahn tegen de aanvraag tot inschrijving van het woordmerk „IC4”. Het gerecht vernietigt de afwijzing van de oppositie door het OHIM, dat er geen overeenstemming was en geen verwarringsgevaar en het overbodig vond om het onderscheidend vermogen van de merken nog te beoordelen. Ten onrechte, concludeert het Gerecht, dat het woordmerk ICE zelfs highly distinctive vindt:
92. It follows from the foregoing that the IC4 and ICE trade marks are visually, phonetically and conceptually similar (see paragraphs 80, 85, 89 above). Accordingly, the Opposition Division and the Board of Appeal erred in taking the view that it was not necessary to examine the distinctive character of the ICE trade mark.
93. As the parties are in disagreement on that point, that issue must be addressed at the outset, since the degree of distinctiveness of the earlier trade mark is one of the factors that must be taken into consideration in a global assessment of the likelihood of confusion.
100. Accordingly, the following factors must be taken into account in an assessment of the likelihood of confusion between the IC4 mark and the earlier ICE trade mark. First, the degree of attention of the relevant public must be regarded as average, and not as limited (see paragraph 50 above). Second, the services in this instance are identical or similar (see paragraphs 62 and 63 above). Third, the marks at issue have an average degree of visual and conceptual similarity, and limited phonetic similarity (see paragraphs 80, 85 and 89 above). Fourth, the ICE trade mark is highly distinctive (see paragraphs 96 to 99 above).
101. In the light of all those factors, the Board of Appeal erred in concluding that there was no likelihood of confusion between the IC4 and ICE trade marks. Consequently, the contested decision must be annulled, as, by virtue of the alteration of that decision, must the decision of the Opposition Division.
Lees het arrest hier.
