Cold, hard lessons from Iceland v Iceland: ‘Abstract trumps reality’
Iceland Foods ends trademark battle with the country of Iceland after repeated losses, highlighting the limits of registering geographic names as exclusive brands.
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16 July 2025 EU court insists geographical names must be available for their ‘natural descriptive use’ | INTA backs supermarket’s unsuccessful argument that EU law doesn’t prohibit country names as trademarks | Iceland Foods faces significant challenges if it expands further into EU markets.
21 September 2023 Trademark association says EU is “stretching the concept of a country’s reputation and image” by refusing a registration for ‘Iceland’ | Key questions emerge in clash between UK supermarket chain and EU Intellectual Property Office | INTA warns over potential change in status quo.
22 December 2022 Dispute over word mark has been ongoing for six years | Litigation centred on logo in white on a background of red, orange and yellow | Closely watched case expected to offer clarity | Bird & Bird.
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