Sweden Wants to Be the First Country to Trademark Its Name

Sweden, location of ABBA, meatballs, comfy sofas, and the midnight sun, has decided it needs to support its brand. The nordic federation has announced that it volition question trademark protections for its ain sanction (“Sweden”) from European Union Intellectual Property Office. If its petition is granted, it volition go the archetypal state successful the satellite with a trademarked name.

This quality was announced this week via a press release from the nation’s tourism bureau, Visit Sweden. “Did you cognize that determination are 8 places successful the satellite called Sweden?” Visit Sweden’s website says. “That’s wherefore we’re sending an exertion to trademark our country’s name. In the meantime, we’ll thatch you however to separate the archetypal from the dupes.” Dupes present appears to beryllium a cute mode of referring to “duplicates.”

Personally, I had nary thought that determination were different places called Sweden. Business Insider mentions a fig of U.S. communities—in states similar Missouri, Maine, and South Carolina—that person the aforesaid moniker.

Relevantly, Business Insider besides notes that it is not typically imaginable for countries to trademark their names, unless they are considered a “destination” and, thus, a brand. In effect, Sweden’s tourism bureau is trying to codify and support the commercialized worth of its homeland.

“’Visit the Original Sweden’ is simply a run that aims to abstracted the archetypal from the dupes,” Visit Sweden’s website continues. “The information that different countries are utilizing the sanction Sweden is flattering, but the much Swedens determination are successful the world, the much confusing it becomes for imaginable tourists.”

Truthfully, this seems little similar a mode to debar traveler “confusion,” and much similar a truly bully selling accidental for Sweden’s tourism bureau. I sorta uncertainty that tons of radical publication flights for the incorrect Sweden and extremity up successful an wholly antithetic state than the 1 they intended to visit. You’d person to beryllium pretty, uh, anserine to publication a formation for South Carolina and deliberation you’re someway going to onshore successful Scandinavia. I besides don’t truly spot however formalized intelligence spot is going to assistance a idiosyncratic who is that navigationally challenged.

It’s besides unclear if trademarking its ain sanction is going to beryllium a caller mode for the Nordic federation to make revenue. After all, if Sweden commercially owns its name, it stands to crushed that it whitethorn besides beryllium capable to complaint extracurricular parties for commercialized usage of its “brand,” though it’s unclear if that is the plan.