Iceland Foods to thaw relations with its Nordic country namesake
DEESIDE-based retail chain Iceland Foods is sending a delegation to try meet with the Foreign Ministry of Iceland in a bid to end their intellectual property “cold war”.
The relationship between the renowned frozen food chain and the Nordic country hit a new low last week when the Iceland government launched a lodged a legal challenge at the EU’s Intellectual Property Office.
The aim, it said, was to protect “the right of Icelandic companies to use the word ‘Iceland’ in relation to their goods and services”.
In a statement the retail group said: “Iceland Foods did not simply take its name from the Nordic nation, but has a long history of close and friendly involvement with Iceland the country.
“Indeed for seven years from 2005 Iceland Foods was under the control of Icelandic investors, and later Icelandic banks.
“This relationship came to an end with the £1.5 bn management buyout of the company in 2012, but Iceland (the company) has continued to have a warm relationship with Iceland (the country) through the ownership of three Iceland stores there, export sales of Iceland products to other retailers throughout the country, and sponsorship of the Icelandic national team in this year’s European football championships.”
Iceland founder and chief executive Malcolm Walker said: “We registered Iceland as our company name in 1970 and we have coexisted with the country called Iceland very happily ever since.
“They have made no contact with us to raise any concerns about trade mark issues since 2012.
“We have no desire whatsoever to stand in the way of Iceland (the country) making use of their own name to promote their own products, so long as it does not conflict or cause confusion with our own business. I am sure that there is ample scope for an agreement that will allow both parties to continue to live and work amicably alongside each other.
“A high-level delegation from Iceland (the company) is preparing to fly to Reykjavik this week to begin negotiations, and we very much hope for a positive response and an early resolution of this issue.”
