• The New York Times, Friday, July 11, 2008 12 PM

In an effort to clamp down on so-called ambush marketers, the Chinese government says it will restrict advertising space in Beijing, giving preference to the official sponsors of the Olympic Games. Nike, which has broad marketing ambitions in China but no qualifying sponsorship deal, is one advertiser that is likely to suffer.

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, which is known as Bocog, has asked advertising agencies to avoid using Olympic symbols without authorization and is asking media companies to carry ads of Olympic sponsors on their channels featuring Olympic content.

Nike and Olympic sponsor Adidas are facing off in China. Last week, Adidas opened its largest retail store in Beijing, 10,000 square feet; it is opening about 1,000 retail stores in China this year. Nike is sponsoring some individual athletes and groups as well as the United States Olympic Committee, but it is not considered an official sponsor because it has not signed on with Bocog or the I.O.C.

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