European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) v John Mills Ltd (Jerome Alexander Consulting Corpn intervening)

Subject Matter

TRADE MARK — European Union trade mark — Opposition — Applicant distributor of cosmetic company’s goods applying for registration in its own name for registration of mark similar to mark previously registered by cosmetic company — Provision preventing registration of mark applied for by trade mark proprietor’s agent or representative without proprietor’s consent — Board of Appeal of EUIPO applying provision and rejecting distributor’s application — Whether distributor “agent” or “representative” of cosmetic company — Whether provision applying if goods covered by application similar but not identical to those covered by proprietor’s mark — Whether applying if proprietor’s mark and mark applied for only similar — Whether Board of Appeal’s decision to be annulled — Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009, art 8(3)

(Case C-809/18P); (Case C-809/18 P); EU:C:2020:902; [2021] Bus LR 123; [2020] WLR(D) 609, ECJ

EUROPEAN UNION — Appeal — EU trade mark — Regulation EC No 207/2009 — Opposition proceedings — Relative ground for refusal — Article 83 — Scope — Identity or similarity of the mark applied for to the earlier mark — EU word mark MINERAL MAGIC — Application for registration by the agent or representative of the proprietor of the earlier mark — Earlier national word mark MAGIC MINERALS BY JEROME ALEXANDER

(Case C-809/18P); (Case C-809/18 P); EU:C:2020:902; [2021] Bus LR 123; [2020] WLR(D) 609, ECJ

Appellate History