American company CrossFit Inc. as filed a complaint with the Consumer Agency in Iceland against Laugar for improser use of the CrossFit name, RÚV reports.
CrossFit Inc. is a trademarked name and fitness program that licenses its name and routines to various service providers worldwide. There are several such licensees in Iceland who are legally permitted to use the “CrossFit” name in branding their fitness courses, however Laugar, the owner of WorldClass gyms, is not a licensee of CrossFit.
Since Laugar is essentially calling their fitness routines “CrossFit” without any affiliation to the actual brand that has generated such a global following, CrossFit Inc. has asked the Consumer Agency to prohibit the Icelandic fitness chain from using the name. They have requested that their complaint receive priority treatment.
UPDATE: Björn Leifsson, a representative of Laugar, has said that Laugar owns the trademark for “WorldClass KROSSFIT Iceland” so they’re allowed to use a name strikingly close the internationally recognized and highly profitable “CrossFit” because they spell their version with a ‘K.’
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