Saxony and Brandenburg for the protection of minority languages

Saxony and Brandenburg are joining a Federal Council initiative by Schleswig-Holstein for the protection of minority languages in EU trademark law. The Saxon cabinet passed a corresponding resolution on Tuesday, as announced by the Ministry of Culture in Dresden. In Brandenburg, the decision had already been made last week.

Protection against the registration of names and terms as trademarks

The initiative is intended to strengthen languages that are protected by the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages in the European Union's trademark law. They are to be placed on the same level as official languages recognized in the EU.

The protection is currently inadequate, for example when registering place names or idioms as trademarks. If "we have to rename our Witaj daycare centers and schools because Witaj is suddenly only allowed to stand for a type of whiskey - then we have a problem", said Manja Schüle (SPD), Brandenburg's Minister of Culture.

Klepsch: Motion in the interests of Saxony and minorities

"The planned amendment to EU trademark law serves to protect, support and equalize national minorities and their languages," said Saxony's Culture Minister Barbara Klepsch (CDU). Supporting the application from Schleswig-Holstein is in the interests of the Free State as well as the resident minorities of the Sorbian people and the Sinti and Roma.

Minorities are quite rightly under special protection, especially against commercialization and exploitation, added Schüle. "Everyday terms from these languages must remain freely usable and must not be restricted by economic interests."

The initiative is to be tabled in the Bundesrat meeting on 8 May.