Offshore wind giant Orsted has won a legal battle over use of its own name after a court battle with descendants of the Danish scientist who inspired its identity change from Dong Energy.
Seven people with the name Orsted brought the court action contesting the energy group’s right to use it following its 2017 corporate rebranding, which it billed as a tribute to electromagnetism pioneer Hans Christian Orsted.
The change of name was the key plank of the company’s “black to green” transition following divestment of its oil and gas assets, and sharper focus on renewables – especially offshore wind.
The Copenhagen Maritime and Commercial Court on Friday delivered a judgement upholding Orsted’s right to use the name, the company said in a statement.
Welcoming the verdict, CEO Henrik Poulsen said: “Our use of the name is a tribute to Hans Christian Orsted, one of the greatest Danish scientists of all time. He discovered electromagnetism nearly 200 years ago and thus laid the foundation for how we produce electricity today.”
