Legislative Crackdown on Unauthorized Uses of London 2012 Brand
The modern-day Olympics have been going on since 1896, but it is only recently that a new trademark law has brought about a heavy crackdown on the unauthorized use of images and words connected to the Olympics in Great Britain. With the London Olympic Games only days away, it is worth examining the impact of the legislation, which was passed by the British Parliament after heavy lobbying by the International Olympic Committee.
According to Prweb.com:
And the crackdown is not just on people ‘borrowing’ the iconic 5-ring Olympic logo. The 2006 Act will punish anyone who uses all iconography connected to the Olympics and, worst of all, it will even prohibit the use of single words such as “London” “Olympics”, “Paralympics” etc., and word combinations such as “London 2012”.
So a word of caution to DIY screenprinters who have been itching to sell their wares on Etsy and eBay — might want to sit this one out, rather than incurring the risk of being hit with some serious penalties.
