Council logo may infringe copyright
Ängelholm council spent 450,000 kronor ($63,000) on its new logo, which has now been launched on banners around the town.
But the council forgot to check whether the motto - 'Land och Hav. Liv och Lust' ('Land and Sea. Life and Pleasure') - was available for use, Helsingborgs Dagblad reports.
After the design was completed and the money spent, Ängelholm reckoned it was time to register the logo with the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (Patent och Registreringsverket - PRV).
It soon emerged however that fitness organization Friskis & Svettis, with its motto 'Liv och Lust', had got there first. PRV informed the council that it could not protect the new trademark.
As a result,continued use of the logo could land the council in court.
According to Friskis & Svettis, Ängelholm council has not yet been in contact to discuss the matter.
"A lot of people try to latch onto these trends, but in general I am reluctant to release the rights to the name. It can lead to a dilution of the brand," Johan Holmsäter, the fitness group's founder, told Helsingborgs Dagblad.
"But it might be possible to licence the name to the council if they undertake to be a healthy council and meet a number of criteria," he added.
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But the council forgot to check whether the motto - 'Land och Hav. Liv och Lust' ('Land and Sea. Life and Pleasure') - was available for use, Helsingborgs Dagblad reports.
After the design was completed and the money spent, Ängelholm reckoned it was time to register the logo with the Swedish Patent and Registration Office (Patent och Registreringsverket - PRV).
It soon emerged however that fitness organization Friskis & Svettis, with its motto 'Liv och Lust', had got there first. PRV informed the council that it could not protect the new trademark.
As a result,continued use of the logo could land the council in court.
According to Friskis & Svettis, Ängelholm council has not yet been in contact to discuss the matter.
"A lot of people try to latch onto these trends, but in general I am reluctant to release the rights to the name. It can lead to a dilution of the brand," Johan Holmsäter, the fitness group's founder, told Helsingborgs Dagblad.
"But it might be possible to licence the name to the council if they undertake to be a healthy council and meet a number of criteria," he added.
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