Certainly you know the Swiss Army Knife, and you can visualize the logo with the cross. The makers name is less known, Victorinox.
The brand history is colorful. And a Munich court just wrote another chapter. It ruled, that a Chinese competitor can neither use ‘Switzerland’, nor symbols from the country flag, the national emblem, like the cross.
Flags and locations are common and popular in labeling and branding. The Union Jack on Reebok shoes, various flags on ‘Geographic Norway’ clothes, Venice Beach and Camp David as clothing label, and Montblanc is a Swiss mountain. While the fountain pen company is German, and various products made elsewhere.
The recent judgement raises more questions. Switzerland does not have a monopoly on the cross in its national flag.
And what does Johnson & Johnson think, owner of the red cross brand? And what does the J&J licensee, The Red Cross, has to say?
And do all the merchandising articles in country colors for World and Euro soccer championships now have to be produced in the corresponding countries?