WALES-BASED supermarket chain Iceland is taking the country of Iceland to court again in a long running battle to trademark the name.
Iceland Foods has fought for years to trademark the name of the Nordic island but the Icelandic government has claimed this would stop the country’s businesses from describing their products as Icelandic.
In 2016, the frozen food specialist received registration of the brand Iceland at the EU Intellectual Property Office.
Iceland the country won a ruling in 2019 from the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) that invalidated the exclusivity of Iceland Foods’ EU trademark registration.
The case has now been taken to the Grand Board of the EUIPO, hearing began last week.
Margrét Hjálmarsdóttir a the senior lawyer of the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office said that if the country lost the case “it would mean that Icelandic companies might not be able to use the word Iceland in their trademarks to identify the products they are selling.”
Iceland Foods’ managing director Richard Walker has said the supermarket will “vigorously defend” its intellectual property rights, Grocery Gazette reports.
Richard Walker has said: “Our business is family-owned and was named Iceland Foods by my mother, the late Lady Walker.”
“We have traded successfully under our name in the UK since 1970, and today it is one of the UK’s most recognised brands.”
“We had sincerely hoped that we would be able to avoid last week’s hearing and reach an amicable agreement.”
“While we will vigorously defend Iceland Foods’ intellectual property rights where there is any risk of confusion between our business and those of another business, this would not restrict Icelandic producers describing goods or services as coming from Iceland.”
“We have been trading successfully for over 50 years under the name Iceland and do not believe that any serious confusion or conflict has ever arisen in the public mind between our business or Iceland the country, or is likely to do so.”
“Iceland Foods is proud of its legacy, serving customers who rely on us for affordable products, particularly in times when the cost of living is increasing at an alarming rate.”
A decision in the case is not expected until the beginning of next year. And even then, it may not be over.
If the parties do not agree, it could end up with the EU’s highest court, the European Court of Justice.
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Following the identification of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza in poultry at a site near Milford Haven in Pembrokeshire and the declaration of an Influenza Protection Zone and wider Surveillance Zone surrounding the Infected Premises (by the Chief Veterinary Officer for Wales), on Friday 9 September, officers from Pembrokeshire County Council’s Public Protection Division have been engaged in visiting addresses within the 3 kilometre Protection Zone around the site.
Officers are identifying locations where poultry and/or other captive birds are kept and to provide information on restrictions that currently apply to help prevent the spread of disease.
The Council’s officers are working in support of veterinary colleagues from the Animal and Plant Health Agency who are managing a co-ordinated response to the incident, in collaboration with the Welsh Government, Food Standards Agency and Public Health Wales.
A map showing the extent of the zones and restrictions that apply can be seen on the Welsh Government website at https://gov.wales/declaration-avian-influenza-protection-zone-surveillance-zone-near-milford-haven-pembrokeshire, and road signs are currently being erected by the local authority to help clarify where these zones begin and end, which will remain in place until the restrictions can be lifted.
It is vital keepers of birds remain vigilant and ensure they have the very highest levels of biosecurity in place.
Responsibilities of people who keep birds:
The UK health agencies advise that the risk to public health from the virus is very low and the UK food standards agencies advise that avian influenza poses a very low food safety risk for UK consumers.
Members of the public who do not keep birds can help by reporting dead wild birds. You should call the Defra helpline on 03459 33 55 77 if you find:
These may be collected for examination and avian influenza surveillance, depending on the species and location. It is important not to pick up or touch any sick or dead bird.
Sick or injured wild birds should not be reported to Defra. Instead contact the RSPCA (in Wales and England) on 0300 1234 999 who may be able to offer assistance.
Dead or sick birds in public places, such as beaches, can also reported by calling 01437 764551 (or out of hours 0345 601 5522) for Pembrokeshire County Council to arrange to collect safely.
ARMY Veteran, Rachel, has launched her own Slimming World group in Milford Haven after her own positive experiences.
“I changed lives in the army and hope to continue changing lives for people in Milford Haven.”
Rachel was born and raised in Milford Haven. As a small child, she was “active and busy” and a real tomboy alongside her brothers.
In 1998, she joined the Army at 16-years-old as a Combat Medical Technician. Following training, Rachel served in Germany, all over the UK, overseas in Cyprus, and was deployed to Oman, Kosovo, Bosnia and Poland before retiring from service in May 2021.
Her role as a combat medical technician meant she often had to deal with soldiers who had been injured in war zones. Rachel described dealing with the range of injuries as “life-changing”.
Rachel’s job not only consisted of helping soldiers physically recover; she also helped them with their mental well-being.
She said she: “always pointed out the positives ahead of them for their lives and their families.
“The fulfilment I would get from seeing them recover and their family made whole again is so rewarding, I cannot put it into words.”
She has always been a strong, physically fit person. She enjoyed an active lifestyle and felt as though she “could always eat what she wanted.”
In 2017, she was posted to Harrogate. Rachel was 36 years old and had recently given birth to her third child, a daughter, after already having two sons aged 13 and 5.
She says she was almost two stone overweight even before her pregnancy.
Rachel said: “So here I was with four stone to lose. I had lost all confidence and was at a loss.
“I was at a GP surgery when I saw a poster for Slimming World. I was there for my daughter’s first vaccinations and that’s when I decided to join my local Harrogate Slimming World group.”
Rachel said she was welcomed to the group with open arms. She described the members as being lovely, offering to make her a hot drink after being weighed or hold her baby while she got settled into the group.
It was at this group that Rachel found her love for Food Optimising, which is Slimming World’s unique plan to lose weight and get healthy.
She swapped takeaway meals for ‘fakeaways’ using recipes she learned from her group.
After only a week, Rachel had lost 4 lbs and knew this new plan was one she could follow.
Over the next 10 months, she enjoyed curries, chillis, chips loaded with a variety of toppings and cheese within her daily allowance, and she could still enjoy treats every now and then.
By June 2018, she had hit her target and lost the whole four stone. She said she “felt amazing!”
Unfortunately, during lockdown, she became a single mum and was at an “all-time low”. She moved back to Pembrokeshire in December 2021 and quickly swapped healthy meals for quick and easy, high-fat processed meals.
Rachel said: “Being stuck in the house with three children during lockdown was hard.
“As I was working from home with nowhere to go, I found myself mindlessly eating as I was only eating out of boredom.
“I put almost two stone back on and I was devastated.”
In January 2022, she decided to get into shape again. She joined the local Slimming World group in Johnston.
Rachel said she had two stone to lose and was determined to return to her target weight.
She claims she was blown away by the consultant Kelly’s knowledge of the plan and her motivation.
“She guided me back through the new member talk, reintroduced me to my love of Slimming World and allowed me to fall in love with the plan all over again!” Rachel added.
“The warm atmosphere and the gentle reminder that the plan can be used for all the family reignited my passion.
“Since January 10, 2022, I have lost one stone and five pounds. I am only two-pounds away from my personal target.”
After talking about Slimming World and the freedom it allows Rachel to have, she joined Slimming World and trained to be a consultant.
Thanks to her time in the Army, helping those with their physical and mental health, Rachel feels that she would be well suited to helping those achieve their goals.
She commented: “The training is thorough and covers not only the plan but the psychology of wanting to lose weight.
“It has totally changed my views on how I shop, cook and eat food, and I hope my drive and motivation will help others to do the same.”
To join Rachel’s Slimming World group, call Rachel on 07391 634033 or visit Milford United Football Club, Marble Hall Road, every Thursday at 5.30pm.
DESIGNER, jeweller and silversmith Maggie Cross is expanding her boutique jewellery business with the help of a microloan from the Development Bank of Wales.
The 29-year old single mum makes minimal but fun jewellery using traditional silversmithing techniques and recycled precious metals from her studio in Cardigan.
Maggie received a degree in Jewellery Making in 2013 from The School of Jewellery in Birmingham.
After falling pregnant in her final year of studying, she recently began following her passion of making gorgeous jewellery.
She began by making pieces and promoting them on her personal Instagram account. In 2020, during the pandemic, Maggie opened her store.
Now living in Cardigan, Maggie owns an “open studio” where she creates her beautiful pieces. All of her work is available on her store maggiecross.co.uk, however, people are able to visit her studio in the Canolfan Teifi Arcade in Cardigan.
Maggie creates bespoke jewellery which is ethically made using recycled precious materials. Her aim is to make her brand as sustainable as possible. At the bench, Maggie uses eco-silver sheet, and the casting company she often works with, also only uses recycled metals.
She is looking forward to the upcoming release of her smiley signet rings which she has been teasing for a while.
Alongside creating jewellery, Maggie also offers workshops, in which she will work with you to create your own bespoke wax ring. She also sells ring carving kits on her website that allow you to create your own ring at home.
Speaking about the grant, Maggie said: “I’m aiming to make my brand as sustainable as possible by only using recycled and environmentally friendly materials. Since completing my degree my time has been spent building up my client base and social media following and the time is now right to expand my offering.
“The £5,000 loan from the Development Bank has made all the difference because it means that I’ve now got the working capital to invest in my products. Their support also means that I’ve got the confidence that the business has the potential to take off. I’m very grateful for their help.”
A £5,000 loan from the Development Bank has been used to invest in stock, casting and materials as she prepares to scale-up to meet customer demand. Maggie is also preparing to launch a programme of workshops.
The Development Bank of Wales was set up by the Welsh Government to support the economy of Wales by making it easier for businesses to get the finance needed to start up, strengthen and grow.
The purpose of the Development Bank is to unlock potential in the economy of Wales by increasing the provision of sustainable, effective finance in the market.
It was established in October 2017 as a foundational organisation for the delivery of public sector financial products, assisting micro to medium-sized businesses in Wales, and increasing the supply of finance.
In total, the Development Bank invested £197.6 million in the 2020/21 financial year. While the Covid-19 Wales Business Loan Scheme (CWBLS) provided £92 million in loans to help businesses through the pandemic, investments in all of our BAU funds remained stable.
£105.6 million was provided to businesses in all sectors of the economy and at all stages of development.
Assistant Investment Executive Charlotte Price from the Development Bank of Wales said: “We are pleased to be working with young entrepreneurs like Maggie, recognising that we have an important part to play in the Welsh Government’s commitment to supporting them.
“Maggie has been developing the business for a few years and has already built up a strong following. She is passionate about what she does so we have every confidence that she will make a success of the business.”
The £32.5 million Wales Micro Loan Fund is financed entirely by the Welsh Government. Loans between £1,000 and £50,000 are available for sole traders, small businesses and social enterprises based in Wales.
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