Turkish company wants "Idaho" name for products

A Turkish agricultural company is attempting to co-opt the Idaho name for its products, sparking protests from the Idaho Potato Commission and the Idaho Legislature.

The Beta Agriculture and Trade Company, which is run out of Turkey, applied to register "Idaho" as a trademark in its own country late last year. That would allow the company to put the state name on products like sugar beet seeds that it could sell in Turkey or export abroad.

Pat Kole, an attorney for the Idaho Potato Commission, which owns the U.S. registered "Idaho" trademark, said the Turkish company could cause problems for Idaho brands abroad if their products or services are of poor quality.

"Essentially, you just always have to watch when you’ve got a very well-known trademark or you want to develop and protect the reputation your state or region might have," Kole said.

by Sean Olson

Full Story: http://idahobusinessreview.com/2013/02/08/turkish-company-wants-idaho-name-for-products/