Sweden becomes first country in the world to apply for trademark

Sweden is making a bold (and perhaps cheeky) move to trademark its name, putting an end to travel mix-ups.

The home of cinnamon rolls and fika has applied to the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to protect its name from international duplicates that might confuse unsuspecting travellers who want to experience the original Sweden and is calling on people around the world to support its application via an online petition.

The trademark application addresses a “common problem travellers face with name-alike locations,” says the country’s tourism board.

With eight places around the world called "Sweden,” multiple Germanys, dozens of Americas, and 34 Londons globally, it's not hard to see why a little brand clarity might be in order.

Visit Sweden says it is “stepping in” to help tourists avoid holiday blunders, so no one packs for the Swedish lakes and forests, only to find themselves in a far-off town with the same name but none of the Scandi charm.

A recent survey by Visit Sweden revealed almost half of travellers (45 per cent) encounter duplicate place names when planning trips and a surprising 8 per cent confessed they have even ended up in the wrong spot.

The study also revealed a large share of younger travellers aged 20-32 support the idea of trademarking names to prevent location mix-ups (54 per cent in the U.S., 45 per cent in the UK and 44 per cent in Sweden).

"It's flattering that other places want to be called Sweden, but we'd prefer if there was just one. Our Sweden. The one with lakes, islands, forests, and the world's best flat-pack furniture," said Susanne Anderson, CEO of Visit Sweden, in a press release. "When people think of Sweden, they should picture our rich landscapes, fika culture, and iconic design, not another city or town that happens to share our name. We want everyone to join us, sign the petition, and help travellers discover the one and only, and original, Sweden."

With the online petition now live, Visit Sweden is calling on everyone's support to help create travel harmony.

To spot the "real" Sweden, Visit Sweden has a few humorous hints: keep an eye out for free wild blueberries, quiet natural luxury (more nature, less bling), and maybe even your own private island. And if you find hotels catering to "eight seasons" instead of the usual four, you've definitely arrived in the Original Sweden.

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