B9 10242. Gerecht EU, 6 oktober 2011, zaak T-488/08, Galileo International Technology tegen OHIM / Galileo Sistemas y Servicios .
Merkenrecht. EU-oppositieprocedure o.g.v. het gemeenschapswoordmerk GALILEO en het gemeenschapsbeeldmerken ‘powered by Galileo’ en GALILEO INTERNATIONAL tegen de inschrijving van het beeldmerk GSS GALILEO SISTEMAS Y SERVICIOS. Oppositie afgewezen: Galileo Sistemas Y Servicios is eigenlijk niet meer dan een uitleg van de afkorting GSS, waardoor Galileo niet het dominante overeenstemmende bestanddeel is en de tekens onvoldoende overeenstemmen om verwarringsgevaar aannemelijk te maken.
27. Assessment of the similarity between two marks means more than taking just one component of a composite trade mark and comparing it with another mark. On the contrary (…).
44. Concerning the comparison of the mark applied for with the earlier Community figurative marks GALILEO INTERNATIONAL, it is correct that, phonetically, the dominant elements of those signs only have the letter ‘g’ in common, that otherwise they are very different in terms of sound and length, and that the word ‘galileo’, which appears in each of those signs, will be noticed only on the rare occasions when the meaning of the abbreviation ‘gss’ is expressed in full.
45. Conceptually, the word ‘galileo’ will only be perceived as an element of the expression ‘galileo sistemas y servicios’ which constitutes the meaning of the dominant element ‘gss’ and refers to systems and services from an entity whose name incorporates the name of the 16th century Italian astronomer and mathematician. On the other hand, the public will understand the words ‘galileo international’ as referring to an entity whose name incorporates the name of the Italian astronomer and which is concerned with a business covering several countries.
46. Visually, the two signs in question also include the very distinct dominant elements ‘gss’ and ‘galileo international’, which have only the letter ‘g’ in common and which are written differently, the letters being depicted in a way which is unique to each sign. Nor are the figurative elements included in the signs in question similar, the one consisting of a globe and the other of a stylised sign which may resemble a hash sign.
47. Although it is true, as the applicant submits, that a consumer will more readily refer to the goods in question by quoting their name than by describing the figurative element of the mark, it must be recognised that, in the present case, in view of its dominant position and its length, the public will recall the mark applied for by using the element ‘gss’ rather than the words ‘gss galileo sistemas y servicios’.
Lees het arrest hier.
