Marketers hoping to cash in on the popularity of the World Cup soccer tournament by associating their brands without paying official sponsorship fees had better think again. Organizers are taking
extensive steps this year to prevent so-called ambush marketing at the tournament, and violators might find themselves at the wrong end of the law. Increasingly, the sports authorities are pressing
countries seeking to play host to international games to pass restrictive legislation enforcing bans not only on trademarked names like FIFA World Cup but also in a vague area of "associated" words
and symbols. Their efforts could get bogged down, however, in the ongoing debate over a company's right to free expression and the commercial rights of an event's organizers. The issue has become
more critical as sports and business become increasingly intertwined, with total global spending on corporate sponsorships expected to reach $34 billion this year. World sports bodies like FIFA argue
that the money is critical to underwriting games, which are expensive to organize and finance. "There's more money in sport," said David Becker, a lawyer in London who specializes in sports law and
has just published a book for sports organizers and sponsors on the issue. "Over the last 10 to 12 years, ambush marketers have become cleverer. They'll try and test the boundaries, which is a very
fine line between what's clever and what's overstepping the market."
advertisement
advertisement
Read the whole story at International Herald Tribune »
