How much protection for GIs?Recent case law

Javier Guillem Carrau18 February 2020

index

Key facts

Jigsaw falling into place

Open questions@javierguillem 2

Key facts

GIs goods are sold at a price

2.23 times higher

They fall within the scope of

industrial and commercial

property rights

Better protection

benefits producers of

quality products and not least

SME

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Jigsaw falling into place

GC/CJ Judgments

A scheme for GIs, why?

C-569/18 Mozzarella di Buffala

•to help producers•to secure higher incomes•to protect those entitled to use GIs

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Quality food law?

C-785/18 ComtéC-569/18

Mozzarella di Buffala

within the framework of the

common agricultural policy (CAP)

Requirements: terroir and savoir

faire

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Who does what?C-785/18 ComtéT-43/15 Piadina

Romagnola

Division of powers• For the MS to check the application • For the Commission to check that the

application contains the information required (i.e. standing orders) and it is not vitiated with errors.

• For the National Courts to verify decisions taken by national authorities on minor amendments

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Aceto balsamico di Modenanow Article 13(1)(b) Regulation 1151/2012

• Protection does not extend to the use of the non-geographical terms of that name such as ‘aceto’ and ‘balsamico’

C-432/18

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Steirisches Kurbiskernolnow Article 18, Article 58(1)(a) and Article 62(1) EUTMR

• Use of a GI (registered as individual EUTM) is not a use according to its essential function as a TM

T-72/17

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Glenn lesson 1Article 16(b) of Regulation No 110/2008

• Absence of aural or visual similarity

• Evocation by conceptual proximity by partial incorporation of the GI

C-44/17

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Glenn lesson 2Article 16(b) of Regulation No 110/2008

• ‘Indirect use’ relates to the type of commercial activity• The indication

appears in supplementary marketing or information sources (AG Opinion)

C-44/17

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Manchego lesson 1now Article 13(1)(b) Regulation 1151/2012

•a registered name may be evoked through the use of figurative signs

C-614/17bony horse, and landscapes with windmills and sheep

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Manchego lesson 2

• including when are used by a producer established in that region for similar or comparable products but not covered by the GIs.

C-614/17

bony horse, and landscapes with windmills and sheep

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Manchego lesson 3

• Average consumers: those of the MS of origin or of the one of the GI and in which the product is mainly consumed.

C-614/17

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Adegaborba.ptArticle 3(1)(c) of Directive 2008/95

C-62

9/17

‘Borba’ is a geographical name or, even if proven, it is a PDOThe sign is devoid of distinctive character

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Borba is the second biggest subregion of Alentejo

Cave de Tain v CavaArticle 103(2)(b) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013

• Protection does not extend against evocation when the differences between the signs precluded evocation

T-774/16

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Jigsaw 2019

Exclusive use

The protectedterm (AcetoBalsamico di

Modena)

It does notserve as use

of a TM (Kurbiskernol)

Prevents third parties from using it

Direct or indirect use (Glenn); misuse,

imitation or evocation (Manchego) and ‘any

other false or misleading indication’

(Glenn)

No generic erosion

(adegaborba.pt)

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GI’s Jigsaw

Exclusive use

The protectedterm (Grana

Padano, Torta del Casar, Palomar,

Aceto Balsamicodi Modena)

It does not serveas use of a TM (Kurbiskernol)

Prevents third parties from using it

Direct or indirect use (Chianti,

Bavaria, Riojavina, Colombiano Coffee

House, Torta del Casar, Champagne

Sorbet, Glenn);

Misuse (colombianocoffee house), imitation

or evocation (Gorgonzola, Parmisan,

BNIC, Toscoro, Viiniverla, Port

Charlotte, Manchego) and ‘any other false or misleading indication’

(Glenn)

No generic erosion (Salami

Felino, adegaborba.pt)

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Boards of Appeal

Optima feinkost OlympiaR 1229/2017-5Article 12(1) of Regulation (EU) No 1151/2012 GI disclaimer

Cheese, processed peppers; olives, preserved; olive paste and olive oil in accordance with the specifications of the PGI ‘Olympia’

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Yorkshire provenderR 674/2017-1Article 7(1) (j) EUTMR Non-registrable

• The presence of the word ‘YORKSHIRE’ is sufficient to evoke the PGI ‘YORKSHIRE WENSLEYDALE’ and the PDI ‘YORKSHIRE FORCED RHUBARB’ not only for identical but also comparable products as, among others, milk, jellies, jams, baked goods or dessert puddings

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YORKSHIRE PROVENDER

VacqueyrasR 2305/2017-5Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR, in conjunction with Article 102(1) and Article 107 of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 Non-registrable

• As a result of the mere presence of the terms ‘CÔTES DU RHÔNE’ and ‘VACQUEYRAS’, which are both AOCs, the trade mark applied for cannot be accepted for registration

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MatpratR 26/2018-5Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR, in conjunction with now Article 13(1) Regulation (EU) 1151/2012 Non-registrable for meat and poultry

• The presence of the word ‘PRAT’ is therefore sufficient to evoke, in the minds of a significant proportion of the Spanish-speaking public, the PGI ‘Pollo y Capón del Prat’.

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PiemontinoR 2110/2017-1 Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR, in conjunction with now Article 13(1) Regulation (EU) 1151/2012 Non-registrable for cheese

• A cheese bearing the trade mark ‘PIEMONTINO’ will generate, in the mind of European consumers, the image of the name of the PDO

• It is not casual

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Café Gran ColombianoR 477/2017-1Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR, in conjunction with now Article 13(1) and 14 Regulation (EU) 1151/2012

Examination on AG was reopened by the Board

Non-registrable for coffee and coffee extracts, neither for comparable products (coffee substitutes, malt coffee) nor for goods using coffee as ingredient (‘non-alcoholic beverages flavoured with coffee, coffee beer’)

the trade mark application is ‘use’ of the ‘PDO Café de Colombia ‘despite the additional figurative and verbal elements

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Lucky LassoR 2723/2017-5Article 8(6) EUTMR and 23(1) of Regulation 110/2008

Lucky Lasso Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

Non registrable for Bourbon whiskeyInternational Agreement protecting a GI (substantiated earlier right)

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Puerto finoR 831/2018-2Article 8(4) EUTMR, Article 118m(2)(a)(ii) of Regulation No 1234/2007.

Remitted to the CD for further prosecution

Similar structure ‘PUERTO’ and ‘Porto’ ‘Fino’ is a traditional term for wine from the PDO Porto The contested sign will immediately evoke the earlier PDO at least for the Portuguese public.

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ReciojitoR 400/2018-2Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR, in conjunction with Article 103(2) (ii), Regulation 1308/2013. TM sent back to the examiner

It is reasonable to consider that the trade mark ‘RECIOJITO’ used to identify services, whose speciality is to offer drinks and cocktails to a wine -based cocktails, comparable to wine protected by the PDO ‘Recioto di Soave’, ‘Recioto di Gambellara’ and ‘Valpolicella’

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RECIOJITO

Grana padanoR 2191/2018-2Article 7(1)(c) EUTMR, in conjunction with Article 103(2) (ii), Regulation 1308/2013. Non-registrable

A GI disclaimer overcome the objection on Article 7(1)(j)However, it is descriptive and it lacks of distinctiveness for services in Class 35, 41, 45

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’

GRANA PADANO

Mappa di ImolaR 1223/2019-5Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR

Non-registrable for wine

The common element IMOLA represents the part of the PGI ‘Colli di Imola’ by which the relevant consumer identifies the geographical origin of the goods, an Italian location located in the region of Emilia Romagna.

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Félix de Murtiga JabugoR-1143/2019-5; R 1142/2019-5Article 7(1)(j) EUTMR in conjunction with now Article 13(1) and 14 Regulation (EU) 1151/2012

Non-registrable with a disclaimer ‘Jamón de Huelva’/‘Jabugo’ because the term was not protected

Registrable without disclaimer for services in Class 35 and 43

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Colombiano Coffee HouseR 251/2016-1 (allocated after T-359/14)Article 52(1)(a) and7(1)(k) CTMR in combination with Article 14 of Regulation No 510/2006, and in breach of Article 7(1)(g) CTMRArticle 8(4) CTMR in conjunction with Article 13, (a) to (d), of Regulation No 510/2006

Case sent back to CD for further prosecution‘Products of the same type’ and ‘comparable products’ are different termsRelative grounds analysis under Article 13 GI Regulation: it shall assess the use of the GI for goods not comparable to coffee and services in Class 43.

• EUIPO cannot put into doubt the validity of the GI or ask to prove again reputation.

• Misuse: the use of the PGI in an inappropriate context, which would be detrimental to the reputation of quality products (e.g. Café de Colombia, for industrial paintings).

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Likelihood of confusionR 1428/2016-2Article 8(1) EUTMR LOC

R 2079/2017-1Article 8(1) EUTMR LOC (even if the application contains a GI disclaimer)

Lady Asti34

Likelihood of confusionR 942/2018-4Article 8(1) EUTMR

No LOC (the application contains a GI disclaimer)

R 425/2019-1Article 8(6) EUTMR and103(2)(b) of Regulation No 1308/2013

LOC

• Misuse, imitation, evocation• Intelligent misspelling of

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Procedural issueOpposition on the ground of Article 8(6) EUTMR and 103(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013

R 286/2017-2 Porto maltese / Porto, R-726/2017-2 Porto marine Hotel vs Porto WinesR-1897/2017-2 Porto vintage vs vintage (fig.)

• There is no requirement at the admissibility stage, i.e., in the notice of opposition, on part of the opponent to expressly claim that the opposition is based on the reputation of the PGI/PDO

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at the admissibility stage the opponent shall indicated ONLY:(i) whether it is a geographical indication, (ii) its name (iii) whether it is a national or an EU quality sign

Boards' jigsaw 2019

Registered

with a disclaimer for

Gis goods(Olympia)

with disclaimerfor services

(Félix de murtigaJabugo)

Prevents third parties from using it

Direct or indirect use (Organic Quijote, Fratelli

Asti, Bourbon)

misuse (ColombianoCoffe House),

imitation or evocation and

‘any other false or misleading indication’

(Pro&eco (fig))@javierguillem 37

Ongoing cases

Open questions

Protection extends against a copy of a shape or appearance?

C-490/19

Protection extends to services?C-783/19

Morbier and Champagne

conclusion

GIs as a crucial IP matterC-389/15 Geneva Act of Lisbon Agreement

Exclusive competence of the European UnionCommon Commercial Policy

Commercial aspects of IP

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