I read with great interest the story about the Swedish Olympic Committee (SOK) that sent some angry lawyers after a pizza place that advertised for Olympic pizza (OS-pizza, OS being short for the Olympic Games in Swedish). SOK have been quick to file complaints with businesses that use “OS” in advertising, but I wonder if SOK really have all the trademark rights they claim.
Turns out that the SOK have registered the trademark “OS” in the following classes in Sweden: 6, 9, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25, 28, 30, 32, 37, 41, 42. The observant trademark specialist will notice that class 43 is missing. Class 43 includes “serving food and beverages”. (Utskänkning av mat och dryck; kortvarigt boende). They could possibly argue that a pizza would fall under class 30 (provisions, for example made from corn). Anyone out there that could enlighten us?
Worth noting is that the following companies also have registered “OS” as a trademark in Sweden in some form:
– OGAWA SEIKI KABUSHIKI KAISHA (national)
– OSRAM Gesellschaft mit beschränkter Haftung (EU)
– The Secretary of State for the Environment t/a Ordnance Survey (EU)
– Organisation für die Sicherheit von Schleifwerkzeugen e.V. (oSa) (EU)
Here’s another example from the US, that includes four (!) olympic rings, very creative.
Update: The ad was from the US, not the UK.
Tags: advertising, public relations, IOC, olympics, trademarks.