September 3, 2015
Olympic Tokyo Logo No-go
Olympic Tokyo Logo No-go
The Olympics are no stranger to IP conflicts, although it is more usually when alleging that a third party has tried to cash in on or create an association with the look and feel of the games. However, The Times (and TIME.COM) reports that the organisers of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics are scrapping the official logo due to a copyright infringement claim by a Belgian designer. Checking a new mark for risks posed by IP rights is of course a key issue for all new brands, and this is especially true for graphic marks, with the unregistered nature of copyright meaning that register searches alone may not cover all IP bases. This case illustrates the need for brand owners to think about diving a little deeper on marks like these and to consider complementing trade mark searches with some common law searches and making internal inquires within the business or commissioned designer e.g. what was the inspiration for the design? Stobbs can assist with all aspects of searching and IP due diligence, so drop us a line if you’d like to discuss anything further.
Tags
Trademarks /  Designs & Copyright /  Sport /  Arts & Entertainment

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