Designer Accuses Icelandic Town of Stealing Her 'Elf Festival'

Designer and event manager Tinna Bessadóttir has accused the municipality of Hafnarfjörður of taking over an "Elf Festival" that she claims to have created and developed from scratch. Bessadóttir alleges that the town is now hosting the festival under the same name and with the same fundamental structure that she painstakingly developed over several years, much of it on an unpaid basis.

In a statement on Facebook, Bessadóttir expressed her dismay, stating that her family had been working on the festival's development since 2017. She claims that Hafnarfjörður has "stooped so low" as to take over her cherished festival, a project into which she poured years of work, countless hours, and significant effort. She asserts that the appropriation extends beyond just the name, encompassing the festival's core ideology, content, structure, visual presentation, programming, and overall execution.

Bessadóttir stated that she recognized the town's intentions last year and attempted to address the situation by offering three potential solutions: continuing the festival in collaboration with her, purchasing the project from her, or creating an entirely new children's festival. Following these discussions, she registered the trademark she had been using for the festival with the Intellectual Property Office. Despite this, she claims Hafnarfjörður proceeded with a festival under the same name and with the same foundational concept and execution that she had developed.

Adding to her grievances, Bessadóttir accuses the municipality of using images from her festival, including photos of her children, in their promotional materials. She has met with municipal officials, presenting documentation of the festival's origin and development, including correspondence dating back to 2016. Citing copyright law, she has outlined the rights she believes she holds as the creator of the project. Despite these efforts and the presented evidence, Bessadóttir says the municipality has chosen to proceed. She is now demanding an official response from Hafnarfjörður, questioning the acceptability of their actions and seeking clarity on the boundaries when a municipality takes over an individual's intellectual property and creative work.