Three-dimensional trade mark conflict: Is there a risk of confusion between these two water bottles?

BACKGROUND OF THE GENERAL COURT The 5 January 2016 Volvis Holding SA filed an application for registration of an EU trade mark for a three-dimensional sign, for Classes 32, 35 and 39. The application was published in the European Union Trade Mark Bulletin on 1 March 2016, and on the 31 May 2016 Sun Stars and Sons Pte Ltd filed a notice of opposition on grounds of likelihood of confusion (Art.8.1b of the European Union Trade Mark Regulation). Contested trade mark three-dimensional sign:…


Clothing items under the copyright protection regime: the importance of the aesthetic element.

Background of the case. The entites Cofemel and G-Star both are in the design business, the manufacturing and trade of clothes. Both are designing jeans, jumpers and shirts. In august 2013, G-Star filed a lawsuit based on intellectual property right´s infringement and unfair competition acts before the Portuguese Courts. G-Star argued that the items they produce (jeans, shirts, jumpers) should be considered as intellectual creations sufficiently original and thus they are granted protection…


Café del mar - nullity based on bad faith.

Background of the case In 1978, the appellant and the interveners in the current legal proceedings, obtained a premise in Ibiza as to start a business (bar) in this same place named “Café del Mar”. In 1992, the intervener applied for the trademark registration for the first time Café del Mar. Afterwards, both parties created the legal entity and the intervener was named as Proxy-Holder as to act in the name and in representation of the legal entity. Among others, in 1999 he applied for an EUTM…


The loss of profit calculation in Copyright (databases) and trademark infringement when deleting the pictures watermark

Judgement of the Appeal Court of Barcelona. Civil Court. Legal background The claimant entity, Schibsted (a web portal aimed to the creation, management and exploitation of websites publishing advertisements, and in particular, the website Coches.net), filed a lawsuit against the entity Autodescuento because of copyright and trademark infringement and unfair competition acts. The Commercial Court nº 8 of Barcelona, ruled Judgement of 30 October 2017, considering all the claims stated in the…


The shape of a guitar to designate musical instruments: lack of distinctivness

On June 16 2010, the applicant, Gibson Brands Inc., filed an application for a tridimensional EU trademark which represented the shape of a guitar body as follows: The goods embodied in the application of the EUTM, are those in Class 9, 15 and 25. In particular is sought the protection of musical instruments (Class 15). EUIPO accepted the registration of the subject mark on July 20, 2010 under Registration No. 9179953. On October 7, 2014, a third party filed an action for a declaration of…


Marca anterior registrada con una declaración de renuncia. Efectos de la renuncia sobre el alcance de la protección de la marca anterior.

Antecedentes: En el año 2007, la sociedad sueca Norrtelje Brenneri Aktiebolag registró, para bebidas alcohólicas de la clase 33 del Arreglo de Niza como marca nacional el signo denominativo y figurativo siguiente (en lo sucesivo, «marca anterior»): Dicho registro está acompañado de una declaración de renuncia por la que se establece que el «registro no confiere un derecho exclusivo sobre el vocablo “RoslagsPunsch”». La inscripción de dicha declaración fue exigida por la Oficina de Registro…


ADIDAS three vertical parallel black stripes: lack of distinctiveness

The ADIDAS group, filed an application for a figurative EU trademark dated December 18, 2013 which represents three vertical parallel black stripes: The applied goods embodied in the application form: Class 25: Clothing; Footwear; Headgear. EUIPO accepted on May 21, 2014 the registration of the mark under Registration No. 12442166. However, in December 2014, an application for declaration of invalidity was filed against the subject mark based on lack of distinctiveness pursuant to Article 59…