I imagine what I want to write in my case, I write it in the search engine and I get exactly what I wanted. Thank you!
Valentina R., lawyer
2011/C 238/55
Language in which the application was lodged: English
Applicant: Fortress Participations BV (Rotterdam, Netherlands) (represented by: M.L.J. van de Braak, lawyer, B. Ladas, Solicitor, and S. Malynicz, Barrister)
Defendant: Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs)
Other parties to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal: Fortress Investment Group LLC (New York, USA) and Fortress Investment Group (UK) Ltd (London, United Kingdom)
—Annul the decision of the Second Board of Appeal of the Office for Harmonisation in the Internal Market (Trade Marks and Designs) of 1 April 2011 in case R 354/2009-2; and
—Order the defendant and the other parties to the proceedings to pay their own costs of the proceedings before the Office and the General Court and pay those of the applicant.
Registered Community trade mark in respect of which a declaration of invalidity has been sought: The figurative mark ‘FORTRESS’, claiming the colours red, black and white, for services in classes 35, 36 and 42 — Community trade mark registration No 3398451
Proprietor of the Community trade mark: The applicant
Applicant for the declaration of invalidity of the Community trade mark: The other parties to the proceedings before the Board of Appeal
Grounds for the application for a declaration of invalidity: The parties requesting the declaration of invalidity grounded their request on relative grounds for invalidity pursuant to Articles 53(1)(c) in conjunction with Article 8(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009. It was also based on United Kingdom non registered trade marks ‘FORTRESS’, ‘FORTRESS INVESTMENTS’, and ‘FORTRESS INVESTMENT GROUP’, used in the course of trade.
Decision of the Cancellation Division: Rejected the request for a declaration of invalidity
Decision of the Board of Appeal: Annulled the contested decision
Pleas in law: Infringement of Article 8(4) of Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009, as the Board of Appeal failed properly to analyse the question of goodwill under the UK law of passing off and failed properly to assess the risk of misrepresentation and consequent damage.