There are certain differences from a visual point of view

GvEA, 11 februari 2009, T-413/07, Bayern Innovativ tegen OHIM / Life Sciences Partners Perstock N.V. (Nederlandse versie nog niet beschikbaar) 

Oppositie op grond van ouder gemeenschapsbeeldmerk Life Sciences Partners tegen aanvraag beeldmerk LifeScience (klassen 35 en 36). "The terms ‘lifescience’ and ‘life sciences’  are ‘of normal distinctiveness in relation to the services in Classes 35 and 36’” En “even though they are phonetically and conceptually very similar, there are certain differences from a visual point of view”. Maar die ‘certain differences’ (klik voor vergroting en zoek de 500 verschillen) doen de balans niet doorslaan en verwarringsgevaar wordt aangenomen.

“57. The Court holds in this respect that, although Article 12(b) of Regulation No 40/94 – according to which the right conferred by a Community mark does not entitle the proprietor to prohibit a third party from using ‘indications concerning the kind, quality, quantity, intended purpose, value, geographical origin, the time of production of the goods or of rendering of the service, or other characteristics of the goods or service’ – expressly provides for a derogation from the exclusive rights of the mark where the protected mark is used in a descriptive manner, it is clear from the foregoing that no such descriptive use is being made in the present case.

58. It follows from all of the foregoing that, in the circumstances of the present case, there is a likelihood of confusion between the marks at issue. Given the identical nature of the services at issue and the similarity of the conflicting marks, the higher level of attention of the relevant public is not sufficient to rule out the risk of that public believing that the services are being offered by the same undertaking or, as the case may be, by economically-linked undertakings.”

Lees het arrest hier.