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Cyrus und Miley Cyrus –

EuGH Urteil vom 16. Juni 2021  – T-368/20  – Smiley Miley Inc . v. EUIPO

In einem aktuellen Markenstreit vor dem EuGH unterlag die Cyrus Trademark Ltd der Smiley Miley, Inc. letztere ist das Plattenlabel von Miley Cyrus und meldete am 21. April 2021 die Wortmarke „MILEY CYRUS“ beim EUIPO als Unionsmarke ab. Die Klassen, für die Schutz beansprucht wurde, sind die 9, 16, 28 und 41 mit folgenden Beschreibungen:

Class 9: ‘Musical sound recordings; musical video recordings; pre-recorded CDs, DVDs, audio discs, video discs, featuring music, downloadable audio recordings, downloadable video recordings, and downloadable MP3 files featuring music; downloadable multimedia files featuring music; computer carrying cases; downloadable electronic games via the Internet and wireless devices; cases for mobile phones; computer application software for mobile phones; fitted plastic films known as skins for covering and providing a scratch proof barrier or protection for electronic devices, namely, mobile telephones; audio and video recordings featuring music, comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages; cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment; phonograph records featuring music; audio tapes, video tapes, audio cartridges, and video cartridges featuring comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages, cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment; downloadable audio recordings, downloadable video recordings, and downloadable MP3 files featuring comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages, cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment; motion picture films, television shows and radio shows featuring music, comedy, action, adventure, drama and romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages, cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment; downloadable multimedia files featuring comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages, cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment; computers; radios; juke boxes; audio speakers; amplifiers; audio receivers; video receivers; televisions; MP3 players; digital audio players; digital video players; combination digital audio and video players; audio cassette players; video cassette players; global positioning systems; telephones; video disc players; video tape players; audio tape players; video recorders; audio recorders; video cameras; personal stereos; electronic diaries; personal digital assistants; camcorders; loudspeakers; headphones; microphones; CD players; headsets for telephones; headsets for use with computers and video game machines; media players; calculators; digital photo frames for displaying digital pictures, video clips and music, hand-held electronic device for receiving and reading electronically published materials; cases for media players; cases for MP3 players; cases for personal digital assistants; computer hardware; computer joysticks; electronic publications, namely, books, magazines, manuals, journals, catalogues, brochures, newsletters, featuring music, comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages, cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment recorded on computer media; CD trading cards; electronic interactive board games for use with external monitor; interactive multimedia computer game programs; magnetic coded gift cards; blank electronic storage media; flash memory cards; memory cards; video display cards; computer software for processing digital music file; music-composition software; software for creating music; software featuring musical sound recordings and musical video recordings; digital trading cards in the nature of multimedia software recorded on magnetic media featuring music, comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages, cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment; multimedia software recorded on CD-ROM featuring music, comedy, action, adventure, drama, romance, dance, concerts, health, lifestyle, preparing foods and beverages, cooking food and beverages, sports, games, animation, family and children’s entertainment; electronic game software; computer game cartridges, discs, and cassettes; computer game software; video game cartridges, discs, and cassettes; video game software; cameras; digital cameras; camera cases; bags for cameras and photographic equipment; digital camera accessory in the nature of a digital photo viewer; mobile telephones; devices for hands-free use of mobile phones; downloadable ring tones for mobile phones; downloadable graphics for mobile phones; keyboards for mobile phones; mobile telephone batteries; mobile phone straps; fitted plastic films known as skins for covering and providing a scratch proof barrier or protection for electronic devices, namely, laptop computers, media players, MP3 players, smart telephones, digital cameras, global positioning systems and personal digital assistants; karaoke players; mouse pads; decorative refrigerator magnets; men’s, women’s and children’s wearing apparel, namely, sunglasses’;

–        Class 16: ‘Printed material, calendars, souvenir books, show programs, posters, decals, and stickers; printed material, paper goods, writing implements, namely, writing ink, stamping ink and stamps, diaries, planners, greetings cards, autograph books, appointment books, coloring books, albums, namely, sticker albums, scrapbook albums and photograph albums, printed invitations, stationery, newsletters featuring information on musical events, concerts, appearances, fashion, music and entertainment; paper banners, paper pennants, book covers, wrapping paper, paper emblems, notebooks and non-metal money clips’;

–        Class 28: ‘Video game joysticks; game controllers for computer games; guitar skins for electronic guitar game controllers; video game interactive control floor pads or mats; video game interactive remote control units; video game machines for use with external display screens or monitors; hand-held electronic games adapted for use with television receivers only’;

–        Class 41: ‘Entertainment services, namely, live dramatic, comedic and musical performances by a professional entertainer and singer; production and distribution of motion pictures, television shows, and radio programs; production of sound and video recordings; production of interactive programs in the nature of entertainment shows for distribution via television, cable, satellite, audio and video media, and by electronic means, namely, via the Internet; amusement park services, theme park services’.

2. Am 11. September 2014 legte die Cyrus Trademarks Ltd einen Widerspruch aus der am 15. Juni 2010 angemeldete und am 29. November 2010 registrierten Worldbildmarke ein, da Verwechslungsgefahr zwischen den Marken bestünde. Das EUIPO bestätigte den Widerspruch teilweise und folge der Ansicht der Widerspruchsführerin. Die Beschwerde der Smiley Miley Inc. bliebt erfolglos, anders als die nunmehr vom EuGH beschiedenen Klage. Das Gericht weist zunächst darauf hin, dass der Gesamteindruck der Marken maßgeblich ist. „The perception of the marks by the average consumer of the goods or services in question plays a decisive role in the global appreciation of that likelihood of confusion. In this regard, the average consumer normally perceives a mark as a whole and does not proceed to analyse its various details.“ Die  englisch-sprachigen Verkehrskreise nähmen die  verbalen Inhalte des Zeichens „Mylus Cyrus“ als den Namen einer Person war. „n the first place, it must be noted that the Board of Appeal’s assessment, in paragraph 19 of the contested decision, according to which the English-speaking public will perceive the verbal elements of the mark applied for as being the name of a person (first name and surname) is not disputed by the parties.“ Ein Familienname bei zusammengesetzten Wortmarken nicht immer einen höheren Wert als der Familienname “

sei kein dominanterer Teil gegenüber dem Vornamen „Miley“, auch wenn Familiennamen in der bisherigen Rechtsprechung einen höheren „inneren Wert “ (intrinsic value) haben als Vornamen („Thus, in a composite mark consisting of several word elements, a surname does not retain an independent distinctive role in every case solely because it will be perceived as a surname“). Das EUIPO hätte auch berücksichtigen müssen, dass die angesprochenen Verkehrskreise das Zeichen „Miley Cyrus“ mit der Sängerin in Verbindung bringen.

Die angemeldete Marke MILEY CYRUS habe für die maßgeblichen Verkehrskreise einen eindeutigen und spezifischen Bedeutungsgehalt, da sie sich auf eine international bekannte Persönlichkeit des öffentlichen Lebens beziehe, die,den meisten gut informierten, angemessen aufmerksamen und verständigen Personen bekannt sei, während die ältere Marke keine besondere semantische Bedeutung hat. Außerdem sei der Ruf der Sängerin und Schauspielerin Miley Cyrus so groß, dass es nicht plausibel ist, dass der Durchschnittsverbraucher, der mit der Marke MILEY CYRUS zur Bezeichnung der fraglichen Waren und Dienstleistungen konfrontiert wird, die Bedeutung dieser Marke außer Acht lassen werde, solange keine konkreten Anhaltspunkte für das Gegenteil vorlägen, die Bedeutung dieses Zeichens als Hinweis auf den Namen der berühmten Sängerin und Schauspielerin außer Acht lassen werde und es in erster Linie als eine Marke unter anderen Marken für diese Waren und Dienstleistungen auffassen wird.

Rechtsanwalt Kai Jüdemann

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