A group of Swedes who share the same name as a Coca-Cola Co-owned fizzy drink are attempting to the get the trademark for the beverage repealed, fearing they will become associated with a soft drink.
The family name of Urge shares its spelling with a citrus drink bottled by Coke sold in Norway. However, Coke has also registered the name in Sweden, though not launched it there. In the US the drink is called Surge.
Urge family members are now trying to get that trademark repealed and under Swedish law trademarks that use someone else’s family name cannot be registered.
However, the Court of Patent Appeals ruled in favour of Coca-Cola last month, saying the English word “urge” was more commonly known than the family name, which is pronounced “OOR-geh.”
Neither Coke nor the Urge family have made public statements.
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