The application from Sparebanken Vest was missing a very central thing.
Less than 20 minutes ago
- Sparebanken Vest’s application for trademark registration for the name “Sparebanken Norge” has been rejected by the Patents Board.
- The Patent Office’s refusal is based on the name being too general and not recognizable enough.
- Sparebanken Vest, which is experiencing great success with its digital bank Bulder, is considering whether to appeal the refusal.
- Even if they cannot register Sparebanken Norge as a trademark, they can still use the name, but they will not have exclusive rights to it.
- The deadline for appeals to the Swedish Patent Office is 30 July.
– To register a trademark in Norway, it must be distinctive. Sparebanken Norge does not meet that requirement, says section manager Knut Andreas Bostad at the Patent Board.
Sparebanken Vest applied for the right to the name Sparebanken Norge a month ago.
There are currently no concrete plans for what the name will be used for, but CEO Jan Erik Kjerpeseth said this week that he wants Sparebanken Vest to become a national bank.
National with Bulder bank
– We want a national footprint, he said.
Sparebanken Vest is experiencing great success with the digital bank Bulder, which has had enormous customer growth over the past year.
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But Sparebanken Norge does not give them the right to, without further ado.
The Norwegian Patent Office explains the refusal by saying that the name Sparebanken Norge is too general and not recognizable enough.
– If you have a logo that is recognisable, it will be easier to get it registered, says Knut Andreas Bostad.
Although the Norwegian Patent and Trademark Office refuses to register Sparebanken Norge as a trademark, this does not mean that the name cannot be used. But the purpose of a registration is to get exclusive rights to a name, and they don’t get that.
According to the rules, a trademark can only be registered if it is suitable for distinguishing one’s own goods or services from others.
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Unclear what Sparebanken does
The Norwegian Patent Board sent its refusal to Sparebanken Vest on Tuesday this week. The bank has just received the reply.
Communications director Hanne Dankertsen says that they are now considering what to do.
– We have not yet decided whether we will complain or not. We have a good deadline for appeals, and will consider what to do next, she writes in an SMS.
It may become relevant to prepare a logo, but it is too early to say, according to Dankertsen.
– We do not want to rule it out, but it is too early to say anything before we have properly settled into the rejection, she writes.
The deadline for appeals to the Norwegian Patent Office is 30 July this year.
Published: May 2, 2024 7:08 p.m
Tags: Bulders owner refused Norwegian Patent Trademark Office
