CANAL JEANS CASE
July 1st, 2005
BY KEITH NUTHALL
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice's (ECJ) Court of First Instance has thrown out a bid by Italy's Canal SpA to block the European Union (EU)-wide registration by the New York-based Canal Jean Co Inc of its trademark 'Canal Jean Co'. The Italians (represented by their Irish company branch) said there would be confusion with their established brand, but judges said consumers would appreciate the difference between the Italian mark 'Canali' (the plural of the word meaning 'channel'), and the English word 'canal'.
THE EUROPEAN Court of Justice's (ECJ) Court of First Instance has thrown out a bid by Italy's Canal SpA to block the European Union (EU)-wide registration by the New York-based Canal Jean Co Inc of its trademark 'Canal Jean Co'. The Italians (represented by their Irish company branch) said there would be confusion with their established brand, but judges said consumers would appreciate the difference between the Italian mark 'Canali' (the plural of the word meaning 'channel'), and the English word 'canal'.
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