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[Strax]

Via the Daily Mail

The Icelandic government is considering launching a lawsuit against British supermarket chain Iceland to make it give up its name.

The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs is looking into taking legal action on the frozen foods giant - 45 years after it was founded.

A spokesman for the Icelandic government said: 'I can confirm that this is being looked into, but no decision has been made.'

Iceland - the supermarket - seemed stunned that the country was considering such a move.

A spokesman for the company said: 'Iceland Foods has traded under the Iceland name in the UK since 1970, and is today one of the UK's most recognised brands.

'We have also traded as Iceland for many years in other EU countries, and in non-EU countries, including Iceland itself.

'We are not aware that our use of the Iceland name has ever caused any confusion with Iceland the country.'

The relationship between the supermarket and the Nordic nation has a history of frostiness.

Collapsed Icelandic retail conglomerate Baugur held a controlling stake in the grocer until its collapse in 2009.

The stake then fell into the hands of Icelandic banks Landsbanki and Gitnir, which was later acquired as part of a management buy-out led by founder and chief executive Malcolm Walker.

In the summer, many Scottish and Welsh fans bought 5p bags from Iceland to wear in support of the Icelandic football team against England at the Euros.

The Deeside-headquartered company has over 800 stores across the UK and employs more than 23,000 staff.

The supermarket It sent a tweet to the Icelandic Football Association with the message: ‘You okay hun?’

Another read: ‘We supported you during #Euro2016 & now this…’

Malcolm Walker, the boss of the Iceland stores group, has escalated his company’s row with the nation of Iceland over the use of the name suggesting: ‘We’ve got more of a claim than they have.’

It emerged last week that the Icelandic Government was considering a legal claim over the name used by Walker’s stores group.

Speaking out last night for the first time since the spat erupted Walker said: ‘We’ve been trading the name for 45 years.

'What possible hope have they got? We’ve got five million customers every week – they’ve got 300,000 people living there.

‘So we’ve got more of a claim on the name than they have. The name is ours really.’

He said it is not the first row over the issue.

‘This is something that comes up every few years, it’s all a bit of a joke. I think there’s an election coming up – it’s a bit of a PR stunt for them,’ he said.

The row has a further irony because the Icelandic Government actually owned the food stores group four years ago.

The stores chain ended up in the hands of Iceland’s nationalised banks after a financial collapse at previous owner, Icelandic investor Baugur.

Walker, who founded the group in 1969, eventually led a bid to retake full control of the company in 2012.

Relations between the stores group and the island nation have been more cordial in the past. Walker said he once escorted the Icelandic prime minister on a tour of the chain’s shops during a London visit.

But those relations have turned chilly after Walker’s company tried to block the country and its national firms registering trademarks ‘using the word Iceland in their names or logos’ in the UK and EU.

A source familiar with the legal complexities said: ‘We hope this can be sorted out with good humour and in a statesmanlike manner.’

GIVE US BACK OUR NAME!

 

[TheRealTalker]

it was fun when Icelanders came into that football match wearing Iceland (supermarket) bags lol

 

[Bleepey]

Cold War just heated up.

 

[Aselith]

Iceland should give up the name. It's false advertising anyways.

 

[Succinct Verbosity]

This seems extremeky dumb

 

[Ahasverus]

lol the people line. Now that's AAA institutional ether.

 

[Kinyou]

'What possible hope have they got? We’ve got five million customers every week – they’ve got 300,000 people living there.

Well now I want this guy to lose big time

 

[Polari]

Iceland should give up the name. It's false advertising anyways.

Not as bad as Greenland tho smh

 

[Razmos]

Cold War just heated up.

Lmao

 

[UnemployedVillain]

'What possible hope have they got? We’ve got five million customers every week – they’ve got 300,000 people living there.

I hope they (the supermarket) win

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

'What possible hope have they got? We’ve got five million customers every week – they’ve got 300,000 people living there.

‘So we’ve got more of a claim on the name than they have. The name is ours really.’

Ok, the supermarket deserves to win.

 

[curls]

Just call it Icyland. Sounds way better.

 

[Kayhan]

The only sensible thing to do is have Iceland's largest supermarket chain adopt the name "England"

 

[Sir_Crocodile]

Just call it Icyland. Sounds way better.

Then they'd have to update all the atlases

 

[CertifiedFP]

They should just rename themselves to Greenland while they're ahead. That should make a good distinction between the two.

 

[30yearsofhurt]

Cold War just heated up.

The relationship couldn't be more frosty.

 

[Reverend Funk]

They ought to change their name to the united states of america

 

[UncleSporky]

Supermarket wins and Iceland decides to change their name to Greenland, which makes more sense anyway.

Greenland gets pissed and sues them and they have a protracted legal battle, ultimately ending with Greenland being forced to change their name.

Greenland picks Iceland, which makes more sense anyway. And proceeds not to sue the supermarket. Everybody's happy.

 

[Übermatik]

They should rename themselves to Kerry Katona's Frozen Food Emporium, and Iceland (the country) should be Cool Cool Mountain.

 

[Branduil]

Huh, I didn't realize Iceland has a smaller population than the smallest US state.

 

[EchoChamber]

Does Iceland even has ice and land?

 

[Miles X]

That god awful shop gets 5 million customers? Yikes.

 

[Little Old Man]

 

[Chinese Cartoons]

That god awful shop gets 5 million customers? Yikes.

Iceland is the reason why more families are not using food banks.

 

[SlipperyFishes]

That god awful shop gets 5 million customers? Yikes.

Considering the blooming teenage pregnancy rate in the U.K. it's clear that it really is all mums that go to Iceland.

 

[Lakitu]

That god awful shop gets 5 million customers? Yikes.

They have some really nice platters and frozen desserts.

 

[ROUGE_BLOCK]

The amount of cold puns in that article is pure gold

 

[AntChum]

'What possible hope have they got? We’ve got five million customers every week – they’ve got 300,000 people living there.

‘So we’ve got more of a claim on the name than they have. The name is ours really.’

Suck on them fish fingers, country formerly known as Iceland. You can't best this logic.

 

[Pie and Beans]

Mums gone to court.

 

[Barnaby_Jones]

Pound a bag mini sausage roll mandem! Katona4lyf

 

[Fantastapotamus]

They should just rename the country to "Game of Thrones was filmed here and also that Matt Damon bit of Interstellar" to boost tourism.

 

[Ninja Scooter]

the country should be forced to change their name to Tesco.

 

[AHA-Lambda]

I'm shocked this hasn't happened before =/

 

[Alienous]

the country should be forced to change their name to Tesco.

Nope, the country should be forced to change their name to Lidl. Home of the Lidlians.

 

[Miles X]

Iceland is the reason why more families are not using food banks.

That's bollocks, you can eat healthy for less if you go to any other supermarket, you just buy value and in bulk. Not even mentioning Aldi and Lidl.

Iceland is the reason so many families are obese.

 

[KdylanR92]

I hope Iceland wins

 

[Deleted member 325805]

I hope Iceland wins

At this point they're the clear favourites.

 

[BosSin]

That's bollocks, you can eat healthy for less if you go to any other supermarket, you just buy value and in bulk. Not even mentioning Aldi and Lidl.

Iceland is the reason so many families are obese.

Indeed, Iceland is garbage. Lidl and Aldi are far superior for cheap shopping.

I mean, I hardly ever go to all three but the few times I go to any of these places Iceland is always the worst.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Just call it Icyland. Sounds way better.

I hope the supermarket wins and Iceland has to go with Icyland

 

[Maple-Tech]

it was fun when Icelanders came into that football match wearing Iceland (supermarket) bags lol

I think they should be called icemen instead of Icelanders

 

[pswii60]

I'm surprised Iceland is still going. They seem like a relic from a bygone era when the likes of Kwik Save and Farmfoods were seeing success. But their food selection says it all really, full of frozen versions of popular chavvy fast food items, like Greggs pasties and Millie's cookies for example.

They have some lovely looking frozen deserts though, but unfortunately the taste doesn't match the looks.

 

[Christhor]

The supermarket should definitely win. Iceland isn't even the country's real name. Take it from them, supermarket!

 

[Bleepey]

I'm surprised Iceland is still going. They seem like a relic from a bygone era when the likes of Kwik Save and Farmfoods were seeing success. But their food selection says it all really, full of frozen versions of popular chavvy fast food items, like Greggs pasties and Millie's cookies for example.

They have some lovely looking frozen deserts though, but unfortunately the taste doesn't match the looks.

This pic is like stepping into a Delorean

I like Iceland burgers IMO.

 

[Squalor]

Well now I want this guy to lose big time

You chose poorly.

That line is golden.