Assessing Comparators of the Trademarks before Confusion for Establishing Unfair Competition through the Social Network – Georgian Perspective
Keywords:
Unfair completion, social networks, trademark, likelihood of confusion, misleading advertisingAbstract
The Article aims to assess regulation of unfair competition through the social network in relation to the trademark by relevant Georgian and international legislation in force. In particular, the Article through comparative analyses describes distinctive matters in the practice of the Georgian National Competition Agency with contrast to best international practice, including case law of EU member states. The Article discuss false and inappropriate advertising using communication means regarding registered trademark and use of internet domain in the context of classifying unfair competition. Besides challenging issues mentioned above, the Article distributes comprehensive study on distinguishing “legal name" and "commercial name” of trademarks before confusion when using for advertising purposes. Accordingly, the Article examines rule of necessity of the cumulative presence of three established (visual, phonetic and semantic) comparators for determination of confusion between trademarks through the prism of unfair competion legislation.
References
Constitution of Georgia.
Directive 2005/29/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 May 2005 concerning unfair business-to consumer commercial practices in the internal market.
Directive 2006/114/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2006 of 12 December 2006 concerning misleading and comparative advertising.
Dzamukashvili D. 2012. Law of Intellectual Rights, Meridiani, Tbilisi.
Guide Document issued by Georgian National Competition Agency on the rule of application and admissibility of complaints in Law of Georgia on Competition, 2022. https://gnca.gov.ge/legislation/guidelines
Jorbenadze S. 2022. Unfair Competition in the Internet and it’s legal consequences, Journal of Justice, Volume 1, 2022.
Law of Georgia on advertisement.
Law of Georgia on Competition.
Law of Georgia on Protection of Consumer rights.
Law of Georgia on Trademarks.
Recent Case-law on the infringement and enforcement of intellectual property rights EUIPO, 2022.
Council Regulation (EC) No 207/2009 of 26 February 2009 on the Community trade mark.
Order N05, 19/08/2014, of Head of Georgian Intellectual Property National Center on affirmation of rules regarding “Procedures related to application and registration of rights on trademarks."
Case Law of European Court of Justice
C T-162/01, Laboratorios RTB v OHIM, 2003, ECR II-2821, ECLI:EU:T:2003:199
C-234/06, Ponte Finanziaria v OHIM, 2007, ECR I- 7333, ECLI:EU:C:2007:514.
C-278/08, Die BergSpechte Outdoor Reisen und Alpinschule Edi Koblmüller GmbH v Günther Guni and trekking.at Reisen GmbH, 2009, ECR I-2517, ECLI:EU:C:2010:163.
C-321/03 Dyson Ltd. v. The Registrar of Trade Marks [2007] ECR I – 687, ECLI:EU:C:2007:51
C-328/18 P, EUIPO v Equivalenza Manufactory, 2020, ECR, ECLI:EU:C:2020:156;
C-49/02 Heidelberger Bauchemie Gmbh [2004] ECR I- 6129; ECLI:EU:C:2004:384.
C 657/11, Belgian Electronic Sorting Technology NV v Bert Peelaers and Visys NV, 2013, ECR, ECLI:EU:C:2013:516.
C-73049/01, Anheuser-Busch Inc. v. Portugal [GC], ECHR 2007-I.
Case T 316/07, Commercy v OHIM, 2009, ECR II-43, EU:T:2009:14.
Case T 6/0123, Matratzen Concord v OHIM, 2002, ECR II-4335, ECLI:EU:T:2002:261.
Case T 117/20, El Corte Inglés, SA v EUIPO, 2021, ECR, ECLI:EU:T:2021:81 etc.
Case T-323/14, Bankia v OHMI, 2017, ECR, ECLI:EU:T:2015:642.
Decision of EU member states Courts and Agencies
Decision of Polish Supreme Court on 09/05/2019 no. I CSK 263/1;
Case No MAO:25/20 Aarnio Design Oy, 2020, Markkinaoikeus (Finnish Market Court).
Decisions of Supreme Court of Georgia
Supreme Court of Georgia, 01/12/2015, Decision no. № ას-1285- 1223-2014. Decisions of Constitutional Court of Georgia
Constitutional Court of Georgia, 10/10/2009, Decision no. №1/3/421,422 citizens of Georgia Giorgi Kipiani and Avtandil Ungiadze against Parliament of Georgia, II-6;
Constitutional Court of Georgia, 18/04/2018, Decision no. №2/482,483,487,502.
Decisions of Georgian Intellectual Property National Center
Georgian Intellectual Property National Center, Chamber of Appeals, 2014, Decision No. №106-03/14.
Decision of Georgian National Competition Agency,
Decision of Georgian National Competition Agency, 18/10/2018 no. 04/279.
Decision of Georgian National Competition Agency, 09/09/2020 no. 04/130.
Decision of Georgian National Competition Agency, 19/07/2017 no. 04/186.
Decision of Georgian National Competition Agency, 30/05/2018 no. 04/132.
Decision of Georgian National Competition Agency, 14/09/2016, no. 152.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2024 ESI Preprints
![Creative Commons License](http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by/4.0/88x31.png)
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.