LOVE – Registered Trademark of the Month

The word and figurative mark LOVE (V0140330) has been selected as Registered Trademark of the Month by the Icelandic Intellectual Property Office (ISIPO).

Behind the mark is the Icelandic company LOVE Synthesizers, founded by computer scientist Kári Halldórsson and musician Markús Bjarnason, with Kristján Freyr Einarsson, designer. Their shared passion for music and sound design forms the core of the brand.

“We want to develop instruments that people can fall in love with,” says Kári. The name LOVE was therefore a natural choice from the outset – as was the name of their first instrument, First Love.

Unlike many traditional electronic instruments, First Love visualises sound waves on a screen, allowing users to interact directly with them through an interactive user interface and buttons. “You can pull and shape the waves with your fingers and change the feeling of the sound through touch,” Kári explains. The goal is to enable musicians to create in a natural flow, exploring, listening and building their own sound rather than simply following predefined rules.

Markús emphasises the importance of tactility in music-making. “We feel that people want to own a real instrument again, not just yet another app,” he says. “We want to give people the freedom to create music with their heart and intuition.”

A conscious choice: “I made this”

In an era when artificial intelligence tools are increasingly used in development and marketing, the founders have chosen a different approach. All programming and product development are carried out in-house.

“We write all the code ourselves,” says Kári. “For us, the story behind the creation is part of the value, to be able to stand behind it and say: ‘I made this.’”

This personal commitment is reflected in the brand’s strong visual identity. In a sector often dominated by black and white devices with technical aesthetics, LOVE stands out with bold colours and a distinctive design, reinforcing its unique character in the marketplace.

Intellectual property as part of the business strategy

From the beginning, intellectual property protection has been an integral part of the company’s business development. LOVE Synthesizers has secured three registered trademarks with ISIPO: the word and figurative mark LOVE, and the word marks First Love and LOVE Synthesizers.

The trademark LOVE was filed in October 2025, published in December 2025 and registered on 15 February 2026 in Classes 9 and 15, covering, among other things, musical instruments, amplifiers and software.

Building on its Icelandic registrations, the company has applied for international protection through the WIPO Madrid System, seeking registration in Europe and the United States, and is exploring protection in additional markets. The company is also preparing to seek design protection for the appearance of the instrument in Iceland and abroad.

Highlighting the importance of trademark registration

Through the Registered Trademark of the Month initiative, ISIPO aims to raise awareness of the importance of trademark protection and to highlight Icelandic companies that build strong and distinctive brands with registered trademarks.