Supermarket Iceland has applied to brand its “iconic King Prawn Rings” and urged other supermarkets to stop trading them.
Iceland Pursues Trademark for “Iconic” King Prawn Rings
Supermarket chain Iceland has taken bold legal steps to trademark its well-known King Prawn Rings, demanding that competitors stop selling similar products.
The Flintshire-based chain, which first launched the popular dish in 1991, claims to have faced an influx of “copy crustaceans” from other major retailers.
Open Letter Targets Rival Supermarkets
In an open letter posted on X (formerly Twitter), Iceland called out Aldi, Tesco, Lidl, and Asda, accusing them of selling imitation prawn rings.
The letter humorously addressed its competitors, suggesting they thought they were “pretty shrimpressive” but warned, “There’s only one original and that’s us.”
Lidl responded with a cheeky comment: “Here was us thinking it was a classic 1970s party dish.” In response, Iceland’s executive chairman, Richard Walker, stood firm, declaring on social media, “The King Prawn Ring is ours, and we won’t be letting you off the hook.”
Legal Threats and Trademark Application
Iceland’s letter demanded that rival supermarkets remove their “pretender” prawn rings from sale, particularly before the Christmas season, warning that failure to do so could lead to legal action.
The company assured its competitors that its legal team was ready to defend the brand, stating, “Our lawyers are well-armed to claw back what’s rightfully ours.”
On September 9, Iceland filed a formal trademark application with the Intellectual Property Office, calling the product “shellfishly brilliant.”
Experts Question the Move
However, Giles Parsons, from the Law Society’s intellectual property law committee, labeled the effort as a publicity stunt, noting that trademarks typically protect distinctive signs rather than common products like prawn rings. Parsons suggested that Iceland may struggle to legally defend its claim.