The European Court of Justice decides on similarity of a trademark application to an earlier trademark

On February 17, 2016 (C-396/15 P), the European Court of Justice decided on an appeal against the decision of the General Court. The General Court found the figurative mark of Adidas similar to the later trademark application of Shoe Branding. Despite the differences in the number of stripes and their respective positions, the General Court found the younger trademark application of Shoe Branding similar to the older trademark of Adidas and refused the registration. The European Court of Justice accepted this decision, which shows that it gives quite a broad protection to older and renowned trademarks against younger applications.