Samherji, Iceland’s biggest fishing company, is suing an Icelandic art student for parodying its website and issuing a fake public apology over a corruption scandal.
The artist is Oddur Eysteinn Friðriksson, an Icelander known as ‘Odee,’ an MA fine arts student at the University of Bergen who calls his art practice “culture jamming”.
As part of Friðriksson’s art piece, We’re Sorry, the corporate identity of Samherji was copied for the website samherji.co.uk, which contained a statement entitled “Samherji Apologizes, Pledges Restitution and Cooperation with Authorities”. This was in reference to the company’s corruption scandal that suggested Samherji had bribed officials in Namibia in exchange for profitable trawling rights.
Furthermore, Friðriksson sent distributed a press release to 100 media outlets in 20 countries that acknowledged “the severity of the allegations against us, which include corruption, bribery, and neocolonialism”.
Speaking to the Observer, Friðriksson explained, “Icelanders have been very critical of imperialist tactics throughout history. So to have this company drag the reputation of the country through the mud and put this huge stain on our history was just appalling.”
Samherji filed a complaint in London for trademark infringement and malicious falsehood, seeking damages. The trial is set for the 25th September.
Image: www.odee.is