Tokyo Olympic organizers "defended a Japanese designer in a logo scandal Friday, denying allegations his design for the 2020 Summer Games was copied from a Belgian theater," according to Mari Yamaguchi of the AP. The organizers disclosed designer Kenjiro Sano's initially submitted logo, saying that its emphasis on a "T'' shape "bore no resemblance to that of Theater de Liege." They said that "a circle on the background was added later as the design was amended after the organizers found a logo that carried some similarity during their trademark search around the world to avoid any legal infringement." They said that the Belgian logo "did not turn up during their three-month search because it wasn't a registered trademark." Tokyo Organizing Committee Dir General Toshio Muto said, "We are convinced that the design of the Tokyo Olympics logo is original." Kazumasa Nagai, a "renowned" graphic designer who headed the selection committee for the 2020 Olympic logo, said, "Under normal circumstances, it's not such a big deal, but this (logo) is for the Olympics which reaches everywhere and gets so much attention. I think that's why it has caused a problem. Even though it is said to have (a) little resemblance, I believe it is purely by coincidence" (AP, 8/29). The AFP reported Tokyo 2020 organizers said Friday that "they would stick with a logo hit by plagiarism claims and had no plans to change what they described as an original work." Earlier this month, Belgian designer Olivier Debie took the IOC to court "to block it from using the logo." The IOC "has rejected the claims." The theater's logo "features a similar shape in white against a black background." But Muto said Sano's design has "many elements" not seen in the Belgian design (AFP, 8/28).
