Chanel loses EU court clash over logo with Huawei    

The ruling can be appealed to the EU Court of Justice.

French luxury house Chanel has lost its trademark fight with Huawei after a top European court said their logos bear no similarity to each other.

The trademark spat underlines how luxury brands jealously guard their signature logos and trademarks that often symbolise luxury, style, and exclusivity to millions of people worldwide.

The dispute dated to 2017 when Huawei sought approval from the EU Intellectual Property Office (Euipo), a trademark body, to register its computer hardware trademark which has two vertical interlocking semi-circles.

Privately owned Chanel objected, saying that the design was similar to its registered French logo of two horizontal interlocking semi-circles used for its perfumes, cosmetics, costume jewellery, leather goods and clothing.

Chanel's marks have more rounded curves, thicker lines, and a horizontal orientation

In 2019, the trademark office dismissed Chanel's objection, saying there was no similarity and no likelihood of confusion in the mind of the public.

The French luxury house subsequently challenged the ruling at the Luxembourg-based General Court, which dismissed the appeal in its ruling on Wednesday.

"The figurative marks at issue are not similar. The marks must be compared as applied for and registered, without altering their orientation," the tribunal of judges said. The tribunal said the visual differences in the two logos were significant.

"In particular, Chanel's marks have more rounded curves, thicker lines, and a horizontal orientation, whereas the orientation of the Huawei mark is vertical. Consequently, the General Court concludes that the marks are different," it said. The ruling can be appealed to the EU Court of Justice, Europe's highest. 

— Reuters