Ice hockey team denied Swiss cross on jerseys

Swiss ice hockey natives have to take to the ice without the Swiss cross Keystone-SDA

The Swiss national ice hockey teams are no longer allowed to wear the Swiss coat of arms on their jerseys. The Swiss Ice Hockey Federation (SIHF) submitted the relevant application too late ruled the Federal Administrative Court.

In principle, only the Swiss federal government has been permitted to use the coat of arms since the revised Coat of Arms Protection Act came into force in 2017. However, companies and associations had the opportunity to apply for permission for continued use within two years – if they had been using the coat of arms for 30 years.

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As the Federal Administrative Court stated in a ruling published on Friday, the SIHF missed the deadline. The court therefore came to the conclusion that the Federal Institute of Intellectual Property, which was entrusted with the matter by the Federal Department of Justice and Police, was right not to act on the SIHF’s 2021 application. Applications for an exemption had to be submitted by the end of 2018. The ruling is not yet legally binding.

Adapted from German by DeepL/ac

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