Svenska Spel in Potential Legal Tussle

One would think that it would be no problem, even natural, for Svenska Spel, Sweden’s government-owned online poker room, to hold the Swedish Poker Championships.  Not when another organization feels it holds the rights to the name. 

The Swedish Poker Association (SPA) has been holding the “Swedish Poker Championships” for 30 years now.  This year, it announced that it would be holding the Championships on November 25 at NordicBet.com.  To their surprise, however, Svenska Spel began advertising its own “Swedish Poker Championships” shortly thereafter, and the date for the event precedes the SPA’s by three weeks. 

The SPA essentially feels betrayed by Svenska Spel, considering the government monopoly has actually asked the SPA for permission to use the brand name before.  Thus, the SPA has threatened to take legal action in the form of a trademark infringement suit. 

“For us the reason for Svenska Spel to behave in this way is clear, our known and established Poker Championships and poker in general are increasingly popular and therefore very interesting for Svenska Spel and its profits,” said Peder Månsson, Chairman of the Swedish Poker Association. 

Svenska Spel isn’t rolling over, however.  It feels that the term “Swedish Poker Championships” is “too common a concept to protect.”  The site also feels that its Championships are more genuinely Swedish, as they will actually be held on a Swedish site and winnings will be paid in Swedish Krona.