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Ikea wins EU court backing to challenge Vlaams Belang brand use

The Court of Justice of the European Union said the party’s trademark use could cause significant detriment to Ikea’s reputation, but final relief would come from Belgium courts.

Reported · Written up by our desk · Europe

Ikea has been allowed to proceed with legal action in its dispute with the Belgian far-right party Vlaams Belang after the EU’s highest court backed the furniture maker’s trademark claims.

The Court of Justice of the European Union ruled that Vlaams Belang’s use of Ikea’s branding and distinctive graphics in 2022 political material, including images modeled on Ikea instructions, could cause significant harm to Ikea’s reputation.

The court said political parody is not automatically prohibited, but it rejected the party’s argument that freedom of expression overrides Ikea’s rights to control its brand identity.

The Luxembourg-based court allowed Ikea to move forward against Vrijheidsfonds, the association behind the party, while noting that any final decision must be made in subsequent proceedings in a Belgian court.

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