IOC Introduces New Rules For Athlete Blogs For Vancouver Games

IOC Not Allowing Athletes To Use Olympic Rings On Blogs

Olympic athletes blogging during the '10 Vancouver Games "won't be allowed to use the iconic Olympic rings on their web pages," according to Stephanie Levitz of the CP. The rule is "part of a new set of blogging guidelines issued by the [IOC] in the wake of the popular experiment to officially allow the online diaries" during last summer's Beijing Games. The guidelines for the '10 Games are "mostly unchanged but do further restrict the way athletes and other Olympic officials can brand their blog as part of the Olympic movement." The rings "are out, and mascots and other emblems belonging" to national Olympic committees can "only be used with permission." Using the word Olympics or "other related phrases is still OK, but like the blog itself, they can't be used to sell or promote anything." At the same time, the new guidelines "give athletes greater freedom to blog for third-party websites as long as the posts aren't used to connect a product or service with the Games." To "protect expensive broadcast rights, athletes are still not allowed to post photographs or video of sports events and the opening or closing ceremonies." Athletes "aren't allowed to have ads on their blogs either, unless they are for official Olympic sponsors." Even then, the ads "can't take up more than 15[%] of the screen at any time" (CP, 5/13).