Orkla Snacks Danmark, the owner of chip brand Kims, has sued Det Danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab over the dictionary definition of “ostepop.” A ruling in the Sø- og Handelsretten is expected later Friday.
The company wants the definition changed so that it states that the snack is sold under Kims’ registered trademark “Ostepops.” DR reports that the demand is set out in a court document from the suing party.
The disputed wording appears on the websites ordnet.dk and sproget.dk, both run by Det Danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab. The entry describes a crisp, yellow or orange, curved snack made from corn flour with a cheddar cheese flavor.
Trademark law at the center
Orkla Snacks argues that the wording is too generic. According to the court document, it could in principle also cover cheese snacks sold under other names, such as “ostesnack” or “ostereje.”
The company says the entry gives the impression that “ostepop” is a generic product type that any business may freely use. It therefore fears that the trademark loses its value, per the same document.
Specifically, Orkla Snacks claims that the dictionary publisher has breached section 7 of the Danish Trade Marks Act. The provision requires reference works to indicate when a word is a registered trademark.
The company points to other entries in the same dictionary as comparisons. A Lego brick is defined as a plastic brick of the Lego brand, and the entry for rockwool notes that it is a registered trademark.
Det Danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab is seeking acquittal in the case. That emerges from court documents seen by Se og Hør, as cited by DR.
The publisher points out that the definition already notes that the word exists as a registered trademark in the plural form “Ostepops,” according to Se og Hør. The Danish language entry has been at the center of contact between the two parties since it first appeared.
How the case reached court
The word was added to the dictionary in 2025. Orkla Snacks then contacted the publisher to have the definition corrected, DR reports.
The request was rejected by the dictionary side. The case was filed in the Sø- og Handelsretten at the end of December last year, according to the claim document from Orkla Snacks.
Det Danske Sprog- og Litteraturselskab is a scholarly society that publishes Den Danske Ordbog and other language resources through ordnet.dk. The site sproget.dk is a joint language portal that also draws on the society’s material.
Orkla Snacks Danmark owns Kims, one of the best known chip producers on the Danish market. Kims sells its cheese puffs under the name Ostepops, the trademark at issue in the case.
The ruling is expected from the court in Copenhagen later on Friday, August 14, DR reports.
