Iron & Smith KFT v. Unilever NV
European Union Court of Justice
Case C-125/14 (2015)
- Written by Eric Miller, JD
Facts
Iron & Smith KFT (plaintiff) sought to register a trademark containing the slogan “be impulsive” in Hungary, a member of the European Union (EU). Unilever NV (defendant) opposed the application on the ground of similarity to its European community trademark containing the word “Impulse.” Unilever produced evidence that its Impulse trademark was well known in the United Kingdom, which was also a member of the EU. The Hungarian intellectual-property office rejected Iron & Smith’s application. Iron & Smith challenged the rejection in the Hungarian courts, asserting that Unilever had no significant market presence in Hungary. The matter was referred to the European Union Court of Justice for a preliminary ruling.
Rule of Law
Issue
Holding and Reasoning (Per curiam)
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