Iceland Foods has failed in its latest legal attempt to retain exclusive EU trademark rights to the word ‘Iceland’, after the General Court of the European Union rejected the retailer’s appeal.

The court upheld previous decisions which found that the word ‘Iceland’ is descriptive of the country’s export activity—including fish, meat, dairy, fruit, vegetables, beverages, and even household appliances—and therefore cannot be monopolised by a single company.

Trademark expert Lee Curtis, partner at IP law firm HGF, said: “Iceland will undoubtedly be disappointed by the decision. They have invested a fair amount of energy and time into this case appealing it all the way to the General Court.

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“This does not mean Iceland Foods cannot use Iceland in the EU, just it will be much harder now to stop others using the term as a trade mark for goods and services of interest to them.”

The judgment also confirms that the descriptive nature of the term applies not only to goods but also to related retail services—making it more difficult for Iceland Foods to defend its brand in EU markets.

The case has been ongoing since 2016, following objections by the Icelandic government to Iceland Foods’ 2014 trademark registration. The decision marks another loss for the retailer, after a 2024 EUIPO ruling also went against it.

While the ruling does not restrict Iceland Foods from operating in the EU under its current name, it significantly weakens its ability to stop other companies from using the name ‘Iceland’ in connection with relevant products or services.

The supermarket has not yet commented on the outcome.