Vilgerts has successfully represented the interests of Balcia in defending its trademark to the European Union Intellectual Property Office against a claim that it was similar to that of another company.
According to Vilgerts, “earlier this year, a decision of the EUIPO came into force, holding there is no likelihood of any confusion between the trademarks Balta and Balcia, thus rejecting AAS Balta's opposition to the registration of trademark Balcia in the European Union. The dispute in question was initiated at the EUIPO, with Balta opposing the registration of word and graphical trademarks Balcia. Balta claimed the trademark Balcia as well as goods and services covered by the trademark are similar to its earlier trademarks BALTA, registered in Latvia and the EU. Balta further claimed its trademark has a reputation in the EU and thus favors broader protection under the Regulation on the European Union trade mark.” According to the firm, “the EUIPO ruled, although the covered services and the targeted public are identical for both marks, the similarity of the trademarks visually and aurally is low. The EUIPO underlined, conceptually, that the signs are not similar.”
Vilgerts’s team included Partner Brigita Terauda and Associate Kaline Ozola.
