The International Cotton Emblem existing since 1960s has definitely lost legal protection in the European Union.
The licensing of the ICE was already suspended in 2018 due to the long-lasting process of the renewal of its registration in the European Union Intellectual Property Office ( EUIPO).
The so-far owner of the right – Bremen Cotton Exchange – announced that EUIPO had finally rejected the application for a certification mark in the European Union as well as the concurrent deletion of the trademark in Germany have led to terminating the licensing system with effect from 31 May 2021.
Now, companies may use the International Cotton Emblem without requiring a licence, however ICE is no longer protected from improper use.