The Guardian
EU’s highest court allows Swedish furniture firm to begin proceedings after Vlaams Belang used its trademarks in immigration campaign
Ikea has won the right to take legal action against a Belgian far-right political party that parodied the Swedish flatpack furniture firm’s branding in its anti-immigration campaign.
In a ruling on Tuesday, Europe’s highest court said that Ikea had the right to oppose the use of its trademarks and distinctive graphics by Vlaams Belang, a rightwing Eurosceptic political party that advocates for an independent Flemish state.
The court found that Vlaams Belang’s use of Ikea’s trademarks to illustrate its policy on asylum and immigration could “cause significant detriment to the repute” of the company.
The party, which has called for a near total stop to immigration and limitations on the building of mosques, had used Ikea’s branding in political material published in 2022.
One image featured characters modelled on the cartoon people used in Ikea instructions, one carrying a flag featuring a lion – the symbol of Flanders – and another holding a shield in Ikea’s distinctive blue and yellow livery.
The image was titled “Ikea plan” with the subtitle “Immigration really can be different.”
After Ikea issued proceedings against Vlaams Belang, the party argued that its freedom of expression should override the Swedish company’s rights over its brand.
But the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union ruled on Tuesday that Ikea could proceed with legal action against Vrijheidsfonds, the association behind the party.
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