• Rise of the intellectual impact to appreciate the trademark confusion

    <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p><o:p> </o:p> Being always advanced in analysing case law tendencies permits to turn to hopeful ways for law firms client's problems.

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    One of our analysis about several decisions both in France and in UE ruling trademark confusion is to indicate the tendency indicated here above.

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    In France, Meridien (a Company) filed an opposition against the registration of the French word Trademark "MOMENTO" related to food services. This opposition was based on he registered Trademark "MOMENTS" covering products and services of classes 30 and 40.

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    Although the French opposition division refused the registration of the Trademark application, the court of appeal cancelled this decision partially rejecting two from the three key points of trademarks confusion analysis (i.e visual and phonetic) to rather involve the conceptual/intellectual comparison -the signification and the Italian origin of the word "MOMENTO" is obvious, so the two signs were different enough for the relevant public to not confuse-.

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    Two decisions of the OHIM (second board of appeal: June 28, 2007 Superman vs/ Man, and June 29, 2007 Lovenox vs/ Loterox) also showcase this tendency and seem to put the intellectual preponderance roots down.

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    For Superman's case, DC Comics filed an application to register "Superman" in several classes though MAN filed an opposition against, based on many Trademarks (Germans and CTM's for "MAN") .

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    The opposition division issued a decision rejecting the opposition because of the predominance of the conceptual meanings, considered as sufficient to counteract the visual and phonetic similarities.

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    The board confirmed it and added that "conceptual differences which distinguish the marks at issue may be such as to counteract to a large extent the visual and aural similarities between them".

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    These decisions go hand in hand with the prediction that obviously there is an evolution in the similarity analysis recently done, and to be done by Trademark law firms through their earlier rights searches and reports as well as by the several opposition divisions through their opposition decisions.

    Romain BUSNEL - IP LAWYER

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