No response from Iceland to attempt to resolve trademark row
Photo: Iceland Foods
The Icelandic government were approached by Iceland Foods back in 2006 in order to strike a deal on the ‘Iceland’ trademark, but did not respond to the offer, it has been claimed.
Icelandic business tycoon Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson, whose investment company Baugur owned the frozen-food supermarket chain, has told the Evening Standard that the Icelandic government was offered a “very fair agreement” back in 2006.
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At the time, Iceland Foods had Icelandic majority shareholders and Icelandic representatives on its board, but the Icelandic government failed to respond to the offer, Jóhannesson claims.
Jón Ásgeir Jóhannesson. Photo: Iceland Monitor/Kristinn Ingvarsson
Iceland has now opened legal action against Iceland Foods , who own a European trademark for the name ‘Iceland’, on the grounds that the trademark prevents Icelandic companies from using the word on the products.
Current CEO of Iceland Foods Malcolm Walker has accused the Icelandic authorities of an uncompromising attitude and expressed bewilderment that the issues should have “suddenly become such a major problem for Iceland” .
Jóhannesson is however optimistic about resolving the current dispute. “I think it’s easy to find a solution. The right people need to sit down to do so,” he tells the Evening Standard .
