London Olympics

If you think you can market your goods and services by associating them or yourself with the London Olympics think again.

Some 40% of businesses have reported that they intend to use the event for marketing purposes. Sponsors have paid large amounts of money to be associated with the event and there are now laws to protect them against “ambush marketing” which may well catch out many more than just the intended targets.

Section 33 and Schedule 4 of the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 makes it an offence punishable by a fine of up to £20,000 to associate your goods and/or services or indeed yourself or your company with the event without a licence from the appropriate body.

This general rule is supplemented by a rule about the use of particular words. Use any of the words in the Group A with any other word in Group A or any word in Group B without a licence or a disclaimer you may well be in breach.

Group A: games, Two Thousand and Twelve,2012, and twenty twelve.

Group B: gold, silver, bronze, London, medals, sponsor, and summer.

Disclaimer: To be absolutely safe we should make it clear that this article is not intended to suggest that this firm has any association with the games or any organisation connected with it!

(For more information contact Stephen Mackie a partner in the disputes resolution department.)

Stephen Mackie
Partner, Solicitor
Henriques Griffiths 18 Portland Square, Bristol.
tel: 0117 9094489
email: smackie@henriquesgriffiths.com

17^th June 2010