Original article published 30 August 2024 on our French sister blog La Revue. On your marks, get set, go! At the Paralympic Games, athletes were previously required to cover their Olympic rings tattoos or face disqualification. The International Paralympic Committee has decided to lift this ban for the Paris 2024 Games. In this blog we present … Continue Reading
As the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris commences, the United States Olympic & Paralympics Committee (USOPC) is vigilant against unauthorized use of its trademarks. The USOPC filed a lawsuit against a U.S. beverage company, alleging the use of Olympic-related terms like “OLYMPIC” and “TEAM USA” without permission. These trademarks are vital for the USOPC’s funding … Continue Reading
With the summer Olympic Games rapidly approaching, the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) recently announced new guidance for social and digital media at the 2024 games. Our colleagues at SPB’s Global IP & Tech blog took an interesting look at how social media guidelines are evolving and how athletes, brands and spectators will experience the games … Continue Reading
The Court of Justice of the European Union (“CJEU”) has ruled that, after a decade-long legal battle, football ace Lionel Messi has the right to register his name as a trade mark. This interesting case confirms that celebrity names are registrable as trade marks. However, whilst there are some advantages to seeking such protection, there … Continue Reading
Liverpool Football Club (“LFC“) have been unsuccessful in their attempts to register two trade marks for the word LIVERPOOL. LFC withdrew both applications after the UK Intellectual Property Office (“IPO”) refused the registration. While the IPO’s decision has not been published, it would seem that the IPO rejected LFC’s applications on the basis that such … Continue Reading
For some people, the idea of watching someone else play a video game holds no appeal whatsoever. However, watching eSports is becoming an increasingly popular activity for millennials and Generation Z with viewing figures rivalling some traditional sports. As the audience for eSports grows, so do the revenues created by the industry. According to recent … Continue Reading
With the 1,000 day countdown to the 2020 Olympic Games now in full swing, it has been reported that the Tokyo Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games is actively monitoring social media trends with a view to combating the spread of “fake news”. The term “fake news” has become something of a phenomenon … Continue Reading
On 28 September, the European Commission released a Communication on tackling illegal online content, under the heading “Towards an enhanced responsibility of platforms”. The communication sets out (non-legally-binding) guidelines for online platforms to move to “step up the fight” against illegal online content. Tackling infringing content online is a well-recognised problem for the owners of … Continue Reading
On 4 September 2017, the UK Intellectual Property Office published an independent report examining the role social media plays in the sale and movement of counterfeit goods (full report available here). The objectives of the report The objectives of the research were to: assess the role that social media plays in the sale and distribution … Continue Reading
In the past week, two high-profile, long-term commercial relationships have come to an end. First came the announcement that the International Olympic Committee (“IOC”) and McDonald’s had mutually agreed to end their worldwide partnership with immediate effect, three years before it was due to expire (the commercial background to the break-up, and any financial terms … Continue Reading
On 9 February 2017, leading UK internet search engines and representatives from the creative industries (including film, sports, music, and publishing to name a few) entered into a landmark agreement, with assistance from the UK Intellectual Property Office (“IPO”), to cooperate in combatting online copyright infringement. The agreement, which takes the form of a Voluntary … Continue Reading
In January 2017, the Italian football club Juventus unveiled a new club crest. The familiar silhouette of a charging bull against the fabled black and white stripes will now be replaced by a black and white letter J in the shape of a shield. Speaking about the new crest, Juventus’ club president, Andrea Agnelli, stated … Continue Reading
Tom Brady’s Super Bowl jersey, worn as he carried the New England Patriots to a stunning victory in Houston last Sunday, has gone missing. Brady says he put it in his bag after the game, turned around, and the next minute it was gone. No one knows where. Press conferences have been held, statements have … Continue Reading
It seems there is seldom a time when social media is not in the spotlight one way or another and the sporting world is no exception. Most recently, we have seen incidences of athletes falling foul of their governing body’s social media policies, such as Pittsburgh Steelers’ Antonio Brown who earlier this week found himself … Continue Reading
RFC. If asked what the letters stand for, what would your answer be? This might be starting to sound like the sort of riddle one finds in a terrible Christmas cracker but it is in fact a question that has been asked (seriously) of the UK Intellectual Property Office (“IPO”) twice, thanks to a disagreement … Continue Reading
