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6 March 2026NewsTrademarksMuireann Bolger

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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More on this story

Trademarks
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.
Trademarks
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.
Trademarks
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.