Iceland government challenges retail chain Iceland over name use

The tiny, frozen, nation of Iceland has filed legal action against a British grocery chain store that has taken the name “Iceland” as its company name. “Iceland Foods” is a privately owned frozen food chain owned and operated by Malcolm Walker and the South African investment group Brait. According to a recent article in the UK Guardian, “Iceland Foods” has already “won multiple cases against Icelandic companies which use ‘Iceland’” as a part of their onomastic trademark. Whether the nation of Iceland will emerge triumphant in the battle to control the use of their country’s name will be decided at the European Union’s Intellectual Property Office.

Merriam Webster’s Name That Thing

7983928938_ba8d3c71ca_mIt is maddening and you probably will not get all of them right. And if you do, there is a very good chance you won’t be able to repeat that stellar performance. And if you do, send us an email. You should definitely join the American Name Society. Feeling lucky? Feeling knowledgeable? Want to test your wits against the folks at Merriam Webster? Check out the game: Name That Thing. You can play as often as you like. Warning: this name game can be harmful to your ego and just might be a tad addictive.

Award for Best Article in Names: A Journal of Onomastics 2016

The 2016 Award Winner is:

Dr. Gerrit Bloothooft and David Onland, “Multiple First Names in the Netherlands (1760-2014)” Names: A Journal of Onomastics 64(1) 3-18.

Learn more about their article in this interview in Names: A Journal of Onomastics.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Committee: Michael McGoff, Kemp Williams, Dorothy Dodge Robbins