VANOC Seeking Legislation To Prevent Ambush Marketing

VANOC is seeking “special legislation that would prevent what CEO John Furlong called ‘Olympic pretenders’ from cashing in by associating words to create an Olympic image,” according to Jeff Lee of the VANCOUVER SUN. Bell Canada, which signed a C$200M deal to be VANOC’s telecommunications sponsor, is “strongly backing the legislation.” Rival Telus “is the largest corporate sponsor in Canada of national sports organizations, including Hockey Canada, Alpine Canada and the Canadian Snowboard Federation.” Telus, which was also a sponsor of Vancouver’s bid for the 2010 Games, said that it will not “engage in ambush marketing,” but that it “will exercise its rights with its sponsored organizations around the Games.” Telus spokesperson Shawn Hall: “Whatever the rules are, we plan to play by them.” Bell Canada VP/Olympic Marketing Loring Phinney said, “We understand that some of our competitors are partners with national sport organizations. That’s acceptable. ... Where we have to watch carefully is when they take those associations and try to align them with the Olympics” (VANCOUVER SUN, 3/31).

DETAILS: In N.Y., Ian Austen reported the legislation would grant VANOC trademark rights through the end of 2010 to a list of words including winter, gold, silver, medals, sponsor, games, 21st, 2010 and Vancouver when they are used “in certain combinations.” Other countries, including Britain, have passed similar legislation, but in Canada, the plan has been “met with criticism from those who dislike the notion of common words becoming private property, even temporarily.” The law “would also allow the organizing committee, a private group, to act like a government agency when it comes to enforcement” (N.Y. TIMES, 4/2).