IKEA Takes Right Approach, Allows Hackers to Continue…With Caveat

After sending a cease-and-desisit, IKEA took the right — and legal — approach and informed IkeaHackers that they could continue with their blog so long as they did not sell advertising. With a likelihood of confusion likely, this makes complete and common sense, and ends up helping both parties. Here’s IKEA’s statement:

We very much appreciate the interest in our products and the fact that there are people around the world that love our products as much as we do. At the same time we have a great responsibility for our customers, they should always be able to trust the IKEA brand. High quality and good service are essential elements of this. Another important aspect is that the many people want to know what really is connected to IKEA – and what is not.

For that reason the IKEA name and brand must be used correctly. When other companies use the IKEA name for economic gain, it creates confusion and rights are lost.

Therefore we are happy for the agreement between Inter IKEA Systems and IKEA Hackers. IKEA Hackers may continue as a fan-based blog/webpage without commercial elements, just like it started some years ago.

More here.

Tags: blogs, cease and desist, design, Free Speech, furniture, hackers, IKEA, Lego, Trademark