Earlier this year, in May 11, the Second Board of Appeal of the EUIPO has rendered its decision (R 2028/2019-2) concerning the appeal relating to the European Union trade mark application No 17 257 981, filed on 27 September 2017, concerning the word mark “PORT RUIGHE” in Class 33 (Whisky and whisky based alcohol beverages). On 2 January 2018, the “INSTITUTO DOS VINHOS DO DOURO E DO PORTO” had filed an opposition against such request based on the PDO “Porto” and “Port”, protected under Portuguese law concerning the protection of appellations of origin, Article 103(2) of Regulation (EU) No 1308/2013 and Articles 22 and 23 TRIPS Agreement. In 14 August 2019, the EUIPO Opposition Division had rejected the opposition, claiming that the conditions of Article 103(2) of Regulation No 1308/2013 were not fulfilled. Such decision was appealed by the “INSTITUTO DOS VINHOS DO DOURO E DO PORTO”. The Second Board of Appeal concluded that the contested mark makes direct use of the PDO ‘PORTO’ and ‘PORT’. As such name enjoy exceptional reputation for wines, its use for the goods applied for is likely to exploit its reputation within the meaning of Article 103(2)(a)(ii) of Regulation No 1308/2013. As a result, the mark ‘PORT RUIGHE’ had to be refused even though it was applied for a different category of good (whisky in the present case). Read the EUIPO Board of Appeal decision
To find out about oriGIn activities on the relations between GIs and trademarks, please refer to the dedicated page of our website
