Trade Mark Inter Partes Decision O/011/18
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O-011-18 TRADE MARKS ACT 1994 IN THE MATTER OF APPLICATION NO. 3132115 BY GEORG LEITNER PRODUCTIONS GMBH FOR THE TRADE MARK THE EARTH WIND & FIRE EXPERIENCE FEATURING THE AL McKAY ALL STARS IN CLASS 41 AND THE OPPOSITION THERETO UNDER NUMBER 406383 BY ESTATE OF MAURICE WHITE Background 1. On 19 October 2015, Georg Leitner Productions GmbH (“the applicant”) filed trade mark application number 3132115, for the mark THE EARTH WIND & FIRE EXPERIENCE FEATURING THE AL McKAY ALL STARS for the following services in Class 41: Entertainment booking services; entertainment in the nature of orchestra performances; entertainment services provided by a music group. 2. The application was accepted and published in the Trade Marks Journal for opposition purposes on 8 January 2016. Estate of Maurice White (“the opponent”) opposes the application under sections 3(6), 5(2)(b), 5(3) and 5(4)(a) of the Trade Marks Act 1994 (“the Act”) 3. Under section 5(2)(b), the opponent relies upon the following earlier trade mark registrations: (i) International registration designating the EU (“IR EU”) 847228 EARTH, WIND & FIRE Class 9: Sound and video recordings featuring music; DVDs featuring musical performances; compact discs and audio cassettes featuring music. Class 25: Clothing, namely, t-shirts, sweatshirts, jackets; headwear. Class 41: Entertainment services rendered by a vocal and instrumental group. Date protection requested: 4 November, claiming International Convention priority from the US from 16 July 2004; protection granted in the EU: 11 April 2006. Page 2 of 26 (ii) EUTM 13345178 THE ELEMENTS OF EARTH, WIND & FIRE Class 9: Sound recordings featuring music; video recordings featuring music; downloadable web casts featuring music and/or information about a musical artist or artists; downloadable pod casts featuring music and/or information about a musical artist or artists; downloadable sound recordings featuring music; downloadable video recordings featuring music. Class 25: Clothing, namely, tops, shirts, t-shirts, polo shirts, bottoms, shorts, pants, headwear, sweatshirts, zip-up hooded sweatshirts, sweat pants, sweaters, jumpers, jackets, coats, rainwear, pullovers, caps, hats, scarves. Class 41: Entertainment services in the nature of live performances by a musical, vocal, and instrumental groups; audio engineering, namely, recording, production and post-production services for musical and sound recordings; audio engineering consulting services, namely, recording, production and post-production consulting services for musical and sound recordings; audio and video recording services; entertainment information, namely, providing information about entertainment services performed by musical, vocal, and instrumental groups via a website; providing a website featuring musical performances, musical videos, photographs and other multimedia materials, and personal information regarding musical, vocal, and instrumental groups and their live and recorded performances; providing non- downloadable musical sound and video recordings delivered via the Internet; fan club services; entertainment services, namely, providing podcasts featuring music and/or information about musical, vocal, and instrumental groups. Date of filing: 9 October 2014, claiming priority from 17 April 2014 from the US; completion of registration procedure: 11 February 2015. 4. The opponent claims that the marks are similar and that the goods and services are identical and/or similar, and that there is, therefore, a likelihood of confusion under section 5(2)(b). Page 3 of 26 5. For section 5(3) of the Act, the opponent relies upon mark (i), EARTH, WIND & FIRE, claiming a reputation in all the goods and services for which the mark is registered. The opponent claims that the mark has a 40-year old reputation in the UK and that use of the applicant’s mark would take unfair advantage of the distinctive character, and/or cause detriment to the repute and distinctive character of its mark. Under section 5(4)(a) of the Act, the opponent claims that use of the applicant’s mark is liable to be prevented under the law of passing off, owing to its goodwill attached to the sign EARTH, WIND & FIRE, which it claims to have used throughout the UK since 28 February 1971, in respect of entertainment services rendered by a vocal and instrumental group; sound recordings featuring music. 6. The opponent’s claim under section 3(6) of the Act is that the application was filed in bad faith: “34. …The Opponent relies on the fact that the Applicant knew, or must have known, of the existence and use of the Opponent’s prior rights in the United Kingdom, but proceeded with the Application nonetheless. 35. … In this regard, the Opponent relies on the fact that on 8 August 2003 GLP Artist Marketing GmbH, a company connected to the Applicant, filed International Registration no. 811004 designating the United Kingdom (inter alia) for the word mark shown below (the “GLP IR”): THE EARTH WIND & FIRE EXPERIENCE Featuring the Al McKay All Stars 36. The GLP IR was based on Austrian national trade mark no. 211090 (the “Austrian Base Mark”). 37. In 2008 Mr White applied to the Austrian Patent Office to cancel the Austrian Base Mark. On 05 February 2015 the Oberlandesgericht Wien (Court of Appeal, Vienna) issued its final decision and the Austrian Base Mark was cancelled with effect from the 14 July 2003. Page 4 of 26 38. As a result of the cancellation of the Austrian Base Mark, the GLP IR, including the UK designation, was also cancelled under Article (6(4) of the Madrid Agreement and the Protocol.” 7. The applicant filed a defence and counterstatement, denying all the grounds of opposition and stating: 8. The opponent is professionally represented by Simmons & Simmons LLP, and the applicant by Mr Alexis Grower, who identifies himself as a consultant with SSB Solicitors and as a solicitor of the superior court. Neither party requested a hearing. In making this decision, I take into account the parties’ pleadings, evidence and written submissions. Opponent’s evidence 9. The evidence comes from John Slater of Simmons & Simmons LLP. His witness statement is dated 13 April 2017. Mr Slater has overall responsibility for the opponent’s part in the proceedings. Some of his evidence is information he has received from David Greenbaum, a partner of US law firm Fox Rothschild LLP, which instructs Simmons & Simmons LLP and who is, in turn, instructed by the opponent. 10. Mr Slater states that Earth, Wind & Fire is a world famous American band founded in 1970 by Maurice White. He exhibits a Wikipedia extract1 which says that the band has sold over 100 million records. I note that the band has had 45 past members, including Maurice White (deceased) and Al MacKay. At the time of Mr 1 Exhibit JHS1 Page 5 of 26 Slater’s evidence, there were ten band members. The Wikipedia extract explains that, following the release of an album called Faces in 1980, Al McKay left the band for personal and professional reasons. Maurice White put the band on hold in 1984, and then the band re-formed in 1987, including a new horn section called the Earth, Wind & Fire Horns. In 1994, Maurice White retired from touring with the band owing to the onset of Parkinson’s disease. However, Mr White made occasional appearances at Earth, Wind & Fire performances and continued to write, record, produce and develop new recordings for the band. 11. The band performed on 13 September 2014 at Proms in the Park, Hyde Park, London with the BBC Concert Orchestra. Mr White died on 4 February 2016. The band’s discography2 shows that the band released 21 studio albums, 4 live albums, 17 compilation albums, 19 video albums and 62 singles worldwide, including the UK. The albums All ‘n All (1977), I Am (1979), Faces (1980), Raise! (1981), Powerlight (1983), The Greatest Hits (2010) and Now, Then & Forever (2013) reached numbers 13, 5, 10, 14, 22, 9 and 25 in the UK albums chart. The singles September (1978), Boogie Wonderland (1979), After the Love Has Gone (1979) and Let’s Groove reached numbers 3, 4, 4 and 3, respectively, in the UK singles chart. Altogether, the band had 13 albums and 21 singles in the UK charts, including ten in the top 40, and four in the top 10. I note that Exhibit JHS4 comprises a copy of the webpage for Earth, Wind & Fire on officialcharts.com and that one of the top 10 singles, Boogie Wonderland, was by “Earth, Wind & Fire with the Emotions”. 12. Exhibits JHS5, JHS6, JHS8 and JHS 9 comprise prints from the UK Amazon website, showing that most, if not all, of the singles, albums, videos and DVDs were available for purchase at the time of Mr Slater’s evidence, the release dates for some of which stretch back to the early 1970s. 13. Mr Slater states that, since the band started, it has toured extensively in the UK. He provides a table of the band’s UK tour dates from 1988 until the last date prior to the filing date of the contested application: 2 Exhibit JHS 2 Page 6 of 26 Page 7 of 26 14. Exhibit JHS12 is a copy of the Austrian decision, together with a certified translation, referred to in the notice of opposition. Exhibit JHS13 comprises a print from the TMview website, showing that IR 811004 is cancelled. Applicant’s evidence 15. The applicant’s evidence comes from Alexis Grower, its professional representative. Mr Grower’s witness statement is dated 18 May 2017. Page 8 of 26 16. Mr Grower states: “It has never been disputed by the applicants. [sic] (GLP) that Earth, Wind & Fire are not a world famous and hugely successful band.” 17. Mr Grower states that Al McKay was an essential part of Earth, Wind & Fire during the time the band had most of their hits.