IKEA’s logo proves crucial in infringement proceedings

Everyone knows the IKEA logo: an oval shape surrounding the letters "IKEA" and iconic blue and yellow colour scheme.

In January 2024, a Chinese company from Shenzhen filed a trademark application for a logo that looked suspiciously similar to IKEA's. The only difference was that it featured the word ‘IKIKI’ rather than IKEA. Both words begin with IK, but the main similarity concerns the graphic elements, as anyone who sees the Chinese logo would automatically think of IKEA.

It hardly came as a surprise when IKEA raised the alarm and filed an opposition in April this year, claiming there was a risk of confusion and an attempt to gain an unfair advantage by benefitting from its reputation. IKEA also claims that the other logo damages its reputation and distinctiveness of its trademark. How the European trademark office will handle this remains to be seen, though we think that IKEA has a strong case.

All this goes to show just how important it is to register your logo. If IKEA had registered only a word trademark and not a logo, it would have been more difficult to take action, as you could argue about the similarity between IKIKI and IKEA. 

This is why we always advise clients with a distinctive logo to also register it as a trademark. Not until then will you have a trademark portfolio with a solid basis.

Author: Erwin Haüer

Bio: Erwin is a trademark attorney and, as the managing partner, in charge of IT and Information Management. He works extensively with startups and scale-ups, while his clientele also includes numerous multinational corporations. Erwin possesses a sharp wit and a keen eye for remarkable trademark news and curious brand infringements.