TRADEMARK | The EU Court of Justice on the effects of Brexit in opposition proceedings

On 5 February 2026, the EU Court of Justice (CJEU) issued its final judgment in case C-337/22 holding that, in opposition proceedings, the earlier right relied upon must continue to exist until the time the European Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) or its Board of Appeal (BoA) renders the decision. The dispute arose from an opposition filed by Nowhere Co. Ltd on the basis of its earlier non-registered figurative trademarks used in the course of trade in the United Kingdom pursuant to Article 8(4) of the Regulation (EU) 2017/1001 of 14 June 2017 on the European Union trademark (EUTMR), against an EU figurative trademark application filed in 2015 by Mr. Junguo Ye. Following Brexit and the expiry of the transition period, the BoA dismissed the opposition on the ground that UK rights could no longer be invoked in EU opposition proceedings. On appeal by Nowhere, the General Court of the EU (GC) annulled the BoA’s decision, holding that the opponent could still rely on earlier rights since the filing date of the contested application was the only relevant point in time. However, the CJEU overturned the GC’s reasoning holding that the earlier right must exist not only at the filing/priority date of the contested trademark, but also at the date of the decision of the EUIPO or the BoA. In reaching this conclusion, the Court relied on the wording of Article 8(4) EUTMR – notably the use of the present tense in requiring that the earlier sign “confers” the right to prohibit use – as well as on the objective of opposition proceedings, namely to prevent the registration of marks that conflict with existing enforceable rights.

Newsletter n. 116 – March 2026