The country of Iceland has won a lengthy legal battle with a British supermarket chain over exclusive rights to the "Iceland" name.

The New York Times reports that the chain's executive chairman Richard Walker announced that he would not appeal a European Union court decision that ruled in favor of the country of Iceland, ending a court fight that spanned the last decade.

"Going to the highest European court would cost us thousands more in fees, so I thought, 'sod this,'" Walker said in a March 4 interview. "I just don't see the point anymore."

In its ruling, the EU's General Court said that allowing the supermarket to have exclusive rights to the "Iceland" name could mislead customers into thinking items were from the country rather than the grocer, and that geographical names should be available for public use. However, the ruling doesn't mean that the supermarket must change its name, rather that other businesses in Iceland and the rest of the EU can now use the name as well.

The fight over rights to the "Iceland" name dates back to 2016, when the country sued the supermarket, which had exclusive rights to the "Iceland" label for products sold in the EU. The country of Iceland won its initial case, leading to the cancellation of the supermarket's trademark in 2019. EU courts then upheld the decision in 2022 and 2025 after the company appealed.

Walker said that calling the business "Iceland" when it was first founded in 1970 felt fitting for a grocer known for its frozen foods. The company has nearly 1,000 stores in the United Kingdom, and three locations in the country of Iceland. As a mea culpa of sorts, the chain will offer 50% discounts on a range of frozen foods to shoppers in Iceland until stock runs out.