The Sweden Democrats campaign font has become the subject of a copyright dispute after Swedish outdoor company Fjällräven said the lettering used by the party is almost identical to its own visual identity. The company has demanded that the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna, SD) change the design of their election material and has threatened legal action if the party refuses.
According to Expressen, Fjällräven contacted the party headquarters during the summer, arguing that the typography and graphic style used in SD’s campaign were too similar to those associated with the company.
The Sweden Democrats did not respond to the initial request, according to the newspaper. Fjällräven has since hired legal counsel and repeated its demand.
Fjällräven says the Sweden Democrats campaign font is too similar
Fjällräven argues that the visual design used by SD is “almost identical” to its own typography and graphic expression and therefore constitutes a violation of Swedish copyright law.
The dispute concerns the appearance of the campaign material rather than the Sweden Democrats’ political message. Fjällräven is asking the party to redesign the lettering so that it can be more clearly distinguished from the company’s branding.
According to Sweden Herald, the company has warned that it is prepared to “take legal action” if its demands are not met.
SD party secretary Mattias Bäckström Johansson rejected the criticism. He described Fjällräven’s objections to Expressen as “nonsense”.
Copyright protection would depend on the design’s originality
Whether the similarities amount to copyright infringement has not been established. Under Swedish law, copyright protection arises automatically when a creative work is produced, but the work must have a sufficient degree of originality to qualify for protection.
The Swedish Intellectual Property Office (Patent- och registreringsverket, PRV) also notes that disputes over how similar one protected design can be to another have to be assessed case by case, and ultimately fall to courts rather than the agency itself.
This means Fjällräven’s claim remains a legal position advanced by the company unless the parties reach an agreement or the matter is examined by a court.
The dispute comes weeks before Sweden’s election
The controversy has emerged during the final phase of Sweden’s election campaign. Elections to the Riksdag, regional councils and municipal councils are scheduled for 13 September 2026, while early voting in Sweden begins on 26 August.
That gives the dispute an immediate practical dimension. Any redesign requested by Fjällräven would concern campaign material already being used shortly before voting begins.
For now, the Sweden Democrats have shown no indication that they intend to accept the company’s demand. Fjällräven’s decision to involve lawyers means the disagreement could move from a dispute over political branding into a formal copyright case if neither side changes its position.
