Erling Haaland 'denied' a trademark on his own name in Norway naming rights battle

Erling Haaland has been knocked in a bid to grow his brand further, with reports claiming he was denied a trademark.

Premier League Golden Boot winner Haaland, who has scored an incredible 52 goals in 51 games in all competitions in his debut season with Manchester City, has developed into one of the most high-profile footballers in the world.

Seen as the Premier League's first superstar arrival by some, he has a lucrative boot sponsorship with Nike and is at the forefront of any City campaigns and shoots.

The 22-year-old submitted three applications through law firm Schjodt, with two being approved by the Norwegian Industrial Property Office without any issue.

One was for his signature and the second his lotus, yoga position celebration he regularly performs after scoring. These can now be used exclusively in his home country, for products such as with another application required for international use.

But the third, which was simply for the name, "Erling Haaland" ended up being rejected because a 29-year-old man from Oslo, capital of Norway, already has the rights to the "Haaland" name having registered it last year.

"We have a Haaland application that came in to us on September 8, 2022," Knut Andreas Bostad, the Head of Section in the Design and Trademark Department in the NIPO, explained.

"They have applied to be able to use it on clothing, selling footwear and a number of other things, as part of the things Erling Haaland has subsequently applied for.

"It is therefore a discouragement for us. Because we already have a registration inside."

The law in Norway states that the owner of a trademark must use it as means to make a product within five years or else they lose the rights.

Haaland has a three-month window to appeal but is said to have three options in order to get around the trademark refusal.

These including taking legal action against the owner, paying a fee for the use of the name and buying it off the original owner.

The former Borussia Dortmund is extremely savvy in this department as he changed his birth name from Haland to Haaland, the extra "A" apparently being added for increased marketability.

SPORTbible has reached out to Erling Haaland's agency for comment.