A Symbol of Care and Compassion

The word and figurative mark of Hringurinn Children‘s Hospital has been selected as the trademark of the month of February by the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office (ISIPO). The mark is owned by the Women’s Society Hringurinn’s Children's Hospital Fund (Barnaspítalasjóður Kvenfélagsins Hringsins), which has steadfastly supported the development and modernization of the hospital for decades.

We met with Anna Björk Eðvarðsdóttir, chairwoman of Hringurinn, at the society’s clubhouse to learn more about the society‘s history, the children's hospital, and the trademark.

Celebrated  120th anniversary last year

Anna says that it is fitting for the mark to be chosen as trademark of the month now, as Hringurinn celebrated its 120th anniversary last year, which also marked the renewal of its emblem.

“The original logo dates back to 1943 and was designed by Ágústa Pétursdóttir Snæland, the first Icelander to graduate in advertising design,” Anna explains. “The logo was hand-drawn at the time, and due to repeated copying and modifications by printing houses, it had changed over time. We wanted to restore it to its original form, so we contacted Goddur, a research professor at the Iceland University of the Arts. He conducted research and reached out to Ágústa’s descendants, who found her original drawings of the logo.

He then collaborated with Pétur and Ólöf at the advertising agency P&Ó, who carefully restored the logo to its original design and created a standard for its appearance. They handled the logo with great care, ensuring it now looks exactly as Ágústa originally intended. This logo means a lot to us because it reflects warmth and kindness.”

A Promise to Support the Sick

Hringurinn is a remarkable women's association with roots tracing back over a century. Anna shares the story of Kristín Vídalín Jacobsen, the first Icelandic woman to study visual arts in Copenhagen. She was unable to complete her studies due to tuberculosis, and at one point, her survival was uncertain.

While bedridden, she vowed that if she recovered, she would dedicate herself to helping the sick and vulnerable. She did recover, and in January 1904, she gathered 46 prominent women from Reykjavík to establish the Hringurinn Women’s Society. Their primary mission soon became fighting tuberculosis, known then as the “White Death,” which was ravaging Iceland.

Purchasing Kópavogur and Running a Rehabilitation Home

Hringurinn purchased the Kópavogur estate and built Kópavogshælið, a rehabilitation home for tuberculosis patients. The society managed the home until 1940 and continued farming on the land until 1948.

As the tuberculosis epidemic subsided in the 1940s, Hringurinn donated the home and land to the Icelandic state. At that point, the society decided to focus its efforts on supporting the establishment of a children's hospital—a mission it has pursued ever since.

Christmas Bazaars, Raffles, Donations, and More

Today, around 350 women from all ages and backgrounds are members of Hringurinn. They volunteer to raise funds for children’s and youth charities, with the majority of the proceeds going toward medical equipment for Barnaspítali Hringsins.

Hringurinn members meet every Monday and Tuesday year-round at their clubhouse, crafting handmade items for the renowned Christmas bazaar. They also host social gatherings, organize Christmas coffee events and raffles at Harpa Concert Hall, and sell Christmas cards, memorial cards, and jewelry. Additionally, they run a café in the hospital lobby, accept donations from individuals and companies, and work tirelessly to fundraise in various ways.

These efforts have resulted in substantial financial contributions to the hospital. In fact, Hringurinn funded a significant portion of the hospital’s construction, which opened in 2002. Since the turn of the century, the society has donated approximately 1.5 billion ISK to the hospital’s development and operations.

“Our most recent major donation was for the hospital’s 20th anniversary two years ago, when we gifted a laser device for treating vascular malformations in children, worth 20 million ISK,” says Anna.

For the 120th anniversary of Hringurinn, a special donation is planned, but Anna remains tight-lipped about what it will be.

Trademark Registration: A Natural Step

But why register a trademark like Barnaspítali Hringsins?

Anna explains that, following the logo’s redesign for the 120th anniversary, trademark protection was the natural next step. The importance of protecting a trademark through registration is a message that the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office strongly supports.

Trademark V0136266 Registered on February 15

The application for the word and figurative mark ‘Hringurinn Barnaspítali’ was submitted in October, and officially registered on February 15 under class 36, covering charity fundraising.
Trademark of the Month – An Initiative by the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office
The Trademark of the Month initiative follows the example of other Nordic intellectual property offices. The goal is to raise awareness about the importance of trademark registration and highlight the role of the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office.

The ISIPO staff selects the Trademark of the Month from newly registered or renewed Icelandic trademarks that represent Icelandic goods or services. The chosen mark must be a strong trademark in terms of intellectual property law, with distinctive character and high differentiation ability. It cannot be descriptive or risk confusion with other marks, and—most importantly—it should have a meaningful story behind it.