Zo. Nu eerst een arrest

HvJ EG, 2 juli 2009, C-343/07, Bavaria NV & Bavaria Italia Srl tegen Bayerischer Brauerbund eV .Verzoek om een prejudiciële beslissing door de Corte d'Appello di Torino (Italië). (Beschikbaar in alle talen behalve het Nederlands!).

Merkenrecht. Eerst even kort. Kunnen het oudere Nederlandse biermerk ‘Bavaria’ en de geografische aanduiding ‚Bayerisches Bier’ vreedzaam naast elkaar co-ëxisteren? Ja, dat kan:

"On those grounds, the Court (Fourth Chamber) hereby rules:

1. Consideration of the first question asked by the referring court has not disclosed any factor liable to affect the validity of Council Regulation (EC) No 1347/2001 of 28 June 2001 supplementing the Annex to Commission Regulation (EC) No 1107/96 on the registration of geographical indications and designations of origin under the procedure laid down in Article 17 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92.

2. Regulation No 1347/2001 must be interpreted as having no adverse effects on the validity and the possibility of using, in one of the situations referred to in Article 13 of Council Regulation (EEC) No 2081/92 of 14 July 1992 on the protection of geographical indications and designations of origin for agricultural products and foodstuffs, pre-existing trade marks of third parties in which the word ‘Bavaria’ appears and which were registered in good faith before the date on which the application for registration of the protected geographical indication ‘Bayerisches Bier’ was lodged, provided that those marks are not affected by the grounds for invalidity or revocation as provided for by Article 3(1)(c) and (g) and Article 12(2)(b) of First Council Directive 89/104/EEC of 21 December 1988 to approximate the laws of the Member States relating to trade marks."

Lees het arrest hier.