OPPOSITION Nо B 3 050 045

 

Chartered Management Institute, 77 Kingsway, WC2B 6SR London, United Kingdom (opponent), represented by Stobbs, Widenmayerstr. 34, 80538 Munich, Germany (professional representative) 

 

a g a i n s t

 

Conscious Management Institute S.A., Paseo Virgen del Puerto 65, 6d, 28005 Madrid, Spain (applicant).

On 04/02/2021, the Opposition Division takes the following

 

 

DECISION:

 

1.	Opposition No B 3 050 045 is rejected in its entirety.
2.	Each party bears its own costs.

 

REASONS

 

The opponent filed an opposition against some of the services of European Union trade mark application No 17 623 521 (figurative mark), namely against all the services in Classes 35 and 41. The opposition is based on United Kingdom trade mark registration No 2 523 985, (series) (figurative); United Kingdom trade mark registration No 2 523 986, (series) (figurative); United Kingdom trade mark registration No 3 160 712, ‘CMI’ (word mark). The opponent invoked Article 8(1)(b) EUTMR.

 

On 01/02/2020, the United Kingdom (UK) withdrew from the European Union (EU) subject to a transition period until 31/12/2020. During this transition period EU law remained applicable in the UK. As from 01/01/2021, UK rights ceased ex-lege to be earlier rights protected ‘in a Member State’ for the purposes of proceedings based on relative grounds. The conditions for applying Article 8(1) EUTMR, worded in the present tense, must also be fulfilled at the time of taking the decision.

 

As the opposition no longer has a valid basis, it must be dismissed.

 

COSTS

 

According to Article 109(1) EUTMR, the losing party in opposition proceedings must bear the fees and costs incurred by the other party. According to Article 109(3) EUTMR, where each party succeeds on some heads and fails on others, or if reasons of equity so dictate, the Opposition Division will decide a different apportionment of costs.

 

As the termination of the proceedings is due to exceptional statutory reasons not attributable to any of the parties, it is equitable that each party bears its own costs.

 

 

 

The Opposition Division

 

 

Begoña URIARTE VALIENTE

Claudia SCHLIE

Solveiga BIEZĀ

 

 

According to Article 67 EUTMR, any party adversely affected by this decision has a right to appeal against this decision. According to Article 68 EUTMR, notice of appeal must be filed in writing at the Office within two months of the date of notification of this decision. It must be filed in the language of the proceedings in which the decision subject to appeal was taken. Furthermore, a written statement of the grounds for appeal must be filed within four months of the same date. The notice of appeal will be deemed to have been filed only when the appeal fee of EUR 720 has been paid.