Why is the logo protected?
Logo Protection – Copyright and Trademark Registration
After designing the Smiling Sun Logo in April 1975 Anne Lund handed over all copyrights and any other material and immaterial rights of the logo to the Danish movement against nuclear power, organized within the OOA (Organisation for Information on Nuclear Power), founded on 31st January 1974.
In 1976 the OOA decided to register the Smiling Sun Logo as a trademark in Denmark and in a number of other European countries.
The trademark protection serves the purpose of securing the integrity and independence of the Smiling Sun Logo, to reserve profit from sales and the utilization of the logo in general to the anti-nuclear power movement worldwide and to enable action to be taken against abuse and alteration of the logo by commercial interests, against abuse by pro-nuclear power campaigns and against political parties taking possession of the Logo.
As of 31st May 2000 all rights of the OOA were transferred to OOA Fonden, whose primary task it has been to secure and maintain the copyright and any other rights related to the Smiling Sun Logo. The OOA Fonden entered into user agreements with groups and organisations campaigning against the development and use of nuclear power, offering user rights to the Logo. Commercial companies committed against the use of nuclear power could apply for a licence contract allowing for production, distribution and sale of products featuring the Smiling Sun Logo.
Effective from 13th December 2004 the Logo has been registered as EU Community Trademark no. 004193091. As such the logo enjoys trademark protection in all member countries of the European Union. The Logo is trademark registered in the original colours red, yellow and black. The registration is valid for periods of 10 years and will accordingly be renewed in 2024.
The decision to establish OOA Fonden was taken at the very last national meeting of the OOA on 1st April and is closely linked to the decision at the same meeting to dissolve the OOA as of 31st May, 2000. That decision recognised that the OOA had successfully campaigned against and avoided the introduction of nuclear power in Denmark and achieved the closing down of the two reactors of the neighbouring Barsebäck nuclear power plant in Sweden.
OOA Fonden was formally established on 1st July 2002. On 12th December 2002 The Civil Affairs Agency (Civilstyrelsen) acknowledged the establishment of the OOA Fonden identified by CVR no. 2740 9954.
The primary purpose of OOA Fonden has been (1) on a non-profit basis to keep the logo available for the anti-nuclear movement; (2) to maintain the rights of the OOA, especially any copyrights, trademark rights and other rights related to the Smiling Sun logo; (3) to create income from licences granted to commercial companies. OOA Fonden has distributed at least 2/3 of any license income to regional and international activities serving the antinuclear movement. During the period 2010-2019 the OOA Fonden has disbursed 84 grants at a total of DKK 1,210,394 which translates to EUR 161,387.
NGOs campaigning against nuclear power are exempted from payment of royalties and have over the last 10 years taken over most of the production of material displaying the Smiling Sun. Accordingly the number of commercial licenses has reduced drastically. The few remaining licenses will be phased out.
Any inquiry by NGOs, public institutions or commercial entities concerning user rights and need of master copies of the logo should by e-mail be addressed to sc@smilingsun.org
Links: EU Trademark registration
Why is the logo protected?
Logo Protection – Copyright and Trademark Registration
After designing the Smiling Sun Logo in April 1975 Anne Lund handed over all copyrights and any other material and immaterial rights of the logo to the Danish movement against nuclear power, organized within the OOA (Organisation for Information on Nuclear Power), founded on 31st January 1974.
In 1976 the OOA decided to register the Smiling Sun Logo as a trademark in Denmark and in a number of other European countries.
The trademark protection serves the purpose of securing the integrity and independence of the Smiling Sun Logo, to reserve profit from sales and the utilization of the logo in general to the anti-nuclear power movement worldwide and to enable action to be taken against abuse and alteration of the logo by commercial interests, against abuse by pro-nuclear power campaigns and against political parties taking possession of the Logo.
As of 31st May 2000 all rights of the OOA were transferred to OOA Fonden, whose primary task it has been to secure and maintain the copyright and any other rights related to the Smiling Sun Logo. The OOA Fonden entered into user agreements with groups and organisations campaigning against the development and use of nuclear power, offering user rights to the Logo. Commercial companies committed against the use of nuclear power could apply for a licence contract allowing for production, distribution and sale of products featuring the Smiling Sun Logo.
Effective from 13th December 2004 the Logo has been registered as EU Community Trademark no. 004193091. As such the logo enjoys trademark protection in all member countries of the European Union. The Logo is trademark registered in the original colours red, yellow and black. The registration is valid for periods of 10 years and will accordingly be renewed in 2024.
The decision to establish OOA Fonden was taken at the very last national meeting of the OOA on 1st April and is closely linked to the decision at the same meeting to dissolve the OOA as of 31st May, 2000. That decision recognised that the OOA had successfully campaigned against and avoided the introduction of nuclear power in Denmark and achieved the closing down of the two reactors of the neighbouring Barsebäck nuclear power plant in Sweden.
OOA Fonden was formally established on 1st July 2002. On 12th December 2002 The Civil Affairs Agency (Civilstyrelsen) acknowledged the establishment of the OOA Fonden identified by CVR no. 2740 9954.
The primary purpose of OOA Fonden has been (1) on a non-profit basis to keep the logo available for the anti-nuclear movement; (2) to maintain the rights of the OOA, especially any copyrights, trademark rights and other rights related to the Smiling Sun logo; (3) to create income from licences granted to commercial companies. OOA Fonden has distributed at least 2/3 of any license income to regional and international activities serving the antinuclear movement. During the period 2010-2019 the OOA Fonden has disbursed 84 grants at a total of DKK 1,210,394 which translates to EUR 161,387.
NGOs campaigning against nuclear power are exempted from payment of royalties and have over the last 10 years taken over most of the production of material displaying the Smiling Sun. Accordingly the number of commercial licenses has reduced drastically. The few remaining licenses will be phased out.
Any inquiry by NGOs, public institutions or commercial entities concerning user rights and need of master copies of the logo should by e-mail be addressed to sc@smilingsun.org
Links: EU Trademark registration