Companies processing Norwegian seafood outside of Norway have to apply for a license in order to obtain the right to use the “Seafood from Norway”-trademark.
Licensing is used to safeguard the joint investments by the Norwegian seafood industry, and to ensure that only Norwegian seafood to be traded outside of Norway is labeled with the “Seafood from Norway”-trademark.
If your company owns processing facilities or have partners who use Norwegian seafood in their production outside of Norway, you can obtain a license to use the “Seafood from Norway”-trademark on your products.
This website provides a thorough explanation of the licensing procedure. If you have any other questions, please contact us at marketing@seafood.no.
What is the benefit of using the “Seafood from Norway”-trademark?
- The trademark “Seafood from Norway” symbolizes all those traits that are associated with Norwegian seafood in the minds of most consumers globally; sustainably farmed, or wild caught fish from Norway's cold, clear waters.
- The trademark aims to convey what is unique about Norway, and conjure up images of the rough climate and beautiful nature in which our seafood is cultivated.
- By obtaining a license to utilize the "Seafood from Norway"-trademark on products and promotional material, companies outside of Norway can benefit from the marketing investments made by the Norwegian Seafood Council (NSC) on behalf of the Norwegian seafood industry.
Licensing Procedure
In order to use the “Seafood from Norway”-trademark on products produced outside of Norway, the production company located outside of Norway must sign a license agreement with the Norwegian Seafood Council
Step 1: License Application
In the online application, you are asked to provide general information about your company, Norwegian exporter(s) and seafood product(s) you intend to label with the "Seafood from Norway"-trademark.
In the application, you are also asked to inform us whether your company complies with any certified management systems.
Step 2: Exporter Declaration
The Exporter declaration shall be filled in and submitted by the Norwegian exporter(s) from whom you are buying Norwegian seafood.
The purpose of the declaration is to provide documentation pertaining to the flow of goods from the Norwegian exporter to the production facility outside Norway.
The Norwegian Seafood Council will contact the exporter directly, using the information submitted by you when submitting the licence application.
Step 3: License Agreement
Upon receiving the License Application and Exporter Declaration, the Norwegian Seafoor Council HQ in Tromsø will process the application, and make a final decision to reject or accept it, based on its merits.
The applicant will then be informed of the decision, and if the application is successful, forwarded a finalized license agreement, as well as information regarding use of the trademark. Rejections will be submitted in writing, and the applicant will also be provided the opportunity to appeal the decision or adjust the application, if necessary.
Product labelling
After signing the license agreement, the company must present all product packaging bearing the "Seafood from Norway"-trademark to the NSC for approval, prior to commercial use.
The trademark shall always be used together with the licensee's own trademark(s).
Please read the Guidelines for use of the "Seafood from Norway"-trademark carefully before starting design of your labels.
Listed on Seafood.no
When the license agreement is in force, your company’s right to use the trademark will be listed on this page.
Export of products labelled with the "Seafood from Norway"-trademark
Please note that you will only be able to export products bearing the "Seafood from Norway"-trademark, which are packaged and labelled outside Norway if the export occurs inside a customs union (e.g. the European Union). For example, if a product is packaged and labelled with the "Seafood from Norway"-trademark in China, it can not be exported to any other country.
