Ikea has secured the right to initiate legal action against Vlaams Belang, a Belgian far-right political party, for its use of the Swedish furniture firm's branding in an anti-immigration campaign.
In a ruling issued on Tuesday, the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) stated that Ikea could oppose the use of its trademarks and distinctive graphics by the Eurosceptic party. The court determined that Vlaams Belang's use of Ikea's trademarks to illustrate its asylum and immigration policy could "cause significant detriment to the repute" of the company.
Vlaams Belang, which advocates for an independent Flemish state and has called for a near total stop to immigration, used Ikea's branding in political material in 2022. This included an image featuring characters resembling those in Ikea instructions, titled "Ikea plan" with the subtitle "Immigration really can be different."
The CJEU ruled that the use of Ikea's trademarks to reinforce a political message and increase its dissemination does not take precedence over the rights of the trademark owner. However, a final decision on the dispute will be made in subsequent legal proceedings in a Belgian court.