Firms warned over Olympic branding

COMPANIES should tread carefully when trying to tap into commercial opportunities around this year’s Olympic Games, a local intellectual property lawyer has warned.

Matthew Shaw, a partner at Forresters, based in Birmingham, said though firms might see the Games as an obvious opportunity to market their own services, exercising caution should be the watchword.

Shaw said there were a number of ramifications which might not be understood by companies tempted to use Olympic branding or logos in the run up to the summer Games.

“People may already be thinking about using some of the iconic images associated with the event – the rings, the Olympic flame, or some of their mottos, for example,” he said.

“However, it’s obvious that the team charged with protecting the brand will crack down on anyone who might try to infringe on the rights they have established. It’s clear that having invested so much time and money in bringing this to Britain, that they are very keen to protect what they have.”

So called ambush marketing – where businesses try to associate themselves with major sporting events without paying sponsorship fees – are a particular focus for Games organisers.