Safeguarding the Country Name "Iceland"
A formal partnership agreement has been signed to establish a unified framework for safeguarding the country's name, "Iceland." The core objective of this strategic collaboration is to protect the national brand and defend the economic interests of Icelandic export industries when the geographical designation is used to market goods and services in international markets. Business Iceland (Íslandsstofa) will oversee the brand-monitoring infrastructure and manage the partnership's day-to-day operations.
The agreement was signed by representatives from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education, the Confederation of Icelandic Enterprise (SA), the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office (ISIPO), Icelandic Trademark Holding ehf. (ITH), and Business Iceland. The partnership introduces standardised, joint protocols to monitor international commercial usage and implement corrective measures whenever unauthorised exploitation threatens the competitiveness of Icelandic exports.
"Iceland's global reputation possesses immense economic value for our export industries, particularly for our creative sectors and culture-led exports. We have faced protracted challenges in securing the right of Icelandic enterprises to identify with their country of origin. A connection that is uniquely vital in today's global marketplace," noted Logi Einarsson, Minister of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education. "Our historical trajectory has positioned Iceland as a leading voice in advancing enhanced legal protections for geographical designations within the global trademark system. It is highly encouraging to see government and industry align systematically to protect and monitor our country's name across international markets."
The framework leverages the extensive legal and operational experience gained by the Icelandic authorities during the long-standing trademark dispute with the British supermarket chain Iceland Foods. The ultimate resolution of that case, which concluded in Iceland's favor, underscored the critical need to defend the commercial rights to the name Iceland/Ísland in foreign jurisdictions.
Strategic Oversight and Implementation
The agreement establishes a specialized advisory council comprising representatives from all participating entities. The council is tasked with defining operational workflows, providing expert legal and strategic support, and insulating the export economy from brand dilution.
In parallel with this operational monitoring framework, the Icelandic government will continue its multilateral advocacy in international intellectual property forums to prevent the privatisation of country names under trademark law.
"The Icelandic Intellectual Property Office has consistently argued in international arenas that commercial entities should not be granted exclusive rights to country names for marketing goods and services," emphasised Borghildur Erlingsdóttir, Director General of the ISIPO. "Preventing the misuse of the name Iceland is critical to maintaining the credibility of our export sectors. We are very pleased to realise this collaboration to monitor trademark registries and combat misleading origin claims."
The enforcement strategy operates on a dual track: systemic monitoring of international trademark applications containing the word "Iceland" or related terms, and a newly launched public reporting portal hosted on the Business Iceland platform. This digital portal allows businesses, public institutions, and the general public to submit intelligence regarding potential brand misuse abroad.
When the advisory council identifies a potential infringement through digital monitoring or public reporting, it evaluates the merits of the case to determine the appropriate response. Where justified, the council issues a formal inquiry to the applicant or user to request verification of a legitimate connection to Icelandic origin. If the coalition deems the usage detrimental to Icelandic commercial interests, it executes joint enforcement protocols.
By intervening during the initial stages of trademark filings or unauthorised market deployment, the coalition aims to mitigate risks early, thereby significantly reducing the legal expenditures typically required to resolve full-scale intellectual property disputes.
Report on the misuse of the country name Iceland