On February 14, 2008, the European Court of First Instance surprisingly conferred to the French consumer concerned a high level of English knowledge by admitting a likelihood of confusion between the marks GALVALLIA and GALVALLOY.
Operating, in the present case, in a market which is highly international and in which the English language is commonly used, the relevant public will recognise in the English word ‘alloy’ a reference to the French ‘alliage’ (alloy).