Nars Mars

GvEA, 8 februari 2007, zaak  T-88/05. Quelle AG tegen OHIM / Nars Cosmetics. (Nederlandse versie nog niet beschikbaar)

Oppositiezaak. Beeldmerk MARS tegen aanvraag gemeenschapsbeeldmerk NARS. Beide merken hebben betrekking op klasse 25, kleding. Er is enige auditieve overeenstemming, maar conceptueel en visueel stemmen de merken niet overeen (“The average consumer will thus register the earlier marks as referring to the idea of the planet Mars and that applied for as referring to a name or a fantasy word.”). De auditieve overeenstemming is onvoldoend om gevaar voor verwarring aannemelijk te maken:

“The mere phonetic similarity of the opposing marks does not therefore, in the present case, support the conclusion that there is a likelihood of confusion, particularly because, during the assessment of a likelihood of confusion within the meaning of Article 8(1)(b) of Regulation No 40/94, the conceptual differences which distinguish the opposing marks may be such as to counteract to a large extent the visual and phonetic similarities between those marks, provided that at least one of the marks at issue has, from the point of view of the relevant public, a clear and specific meaning so that the public is capable of grasping it immediately and the other mark has no such meaning or an entirely different meaning.” (70)

Lees het arrest hier.