Iceland (the country) is hoping to get Iceland (the store) to relinquish their trademark on Iceland (the word) within the European Union.
Sources close to Vísir report that Promote Iceland, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Business Iceland are all taking part in this effort, with the help of patent attorney office Árnason Faktor.
The effort is several years in the making, but sources say that the involved parties will meet to discuss their next steps at a meeting scheduled for September 28.
The use of “Iceland” as the name of a retail chain has caused confusion in the past, but the use of the country’s name in this way has sparked criticism going back many years. Left-Green MP Steingrímur J. Sigfússon brought up the issue in parliament eleven years ago, for example, questioning the use of a country’s name as a trademarked name for a private company.
How Iceland (the store) intends to respond to Iceland (the country) remains to be seen.
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