August 2024
Created to celebrate excellence, the Olympic Games may be considered the most spectacular sports event, making the entire planet vibrate and shine brighter every four years.
In addition to the passion, effort and frenzy that characterize them, the Olympic Games also bring under the spotlight numerous aspects related to the legal spectrum, intellectual property included.
When we think about the Olympic Games, the first thing that comes to mind is the Olympic Symbol, a globally recognized emblem whose protection was internationally enshrined by the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol, adopted in 1981.
Romania is among the signatory states of this treaty, undertaking the obligation:
- to refuse or invalidate, as the case may be, the registration of any trademarks that include signs identical/similar to the Olympic Symbol (protected in this form and as EU trademark no. 002970366 registered on 17/02/2004) and
- to prohibit/order the cessation of any acts by which any sign consisting of or containing this symbol is used for commercial purposes, except for acts of use carried out on the basis of the agreement of the International Olympic Committee.
The Olympic Symbol is not the only right owned in the portfolio of the International Olympic Committee Association – Comité International Olympique Association, given that, from the information in the public databases, we have identified numerous trademarks registered in the Association’s portfolio, among which, we mention:
As far as the territory of Romania is concerned, in addition to the trademarks presented above, which also have effect in our country, according to the information in the database of the State Office for Inventions and Trademarks, the Romanian Olympic and Sports Committee also holds the following registered national trademarks:
The Olympic Charter (its form in force as of October 15, 2023 can be accessed here), which codifies the fundamental principles of Olympism and the rules adopted by the International Olympic Committee, defines, among other things, what it calls the Olympic Properties, which include the Olympic Symbol, the Olympic flag, the motto, the anthem, the terms by which the Olympic Games are identified (including here also Olympic Games, Games of the Olympics, etc.), the emblems, the Olympic flame, etc., as well as any other musical, audio-visual or intellectual works made in connection with the Olympic Games, at the order/request of the International Olympic Committee and the National Olympic Committees.
According to the Olympic Charter, all rights to the Olympic Properties, as well as all rights to use them, belong exclusively to the International Olympic Committee, including, but not limited to, use for profit, commercial or advertising purposes. Thus, it is the Committee that can authorize the use of any of these rights, under the terms and conditions established by its Executive Committee.
Intellectual property is also reflected in the activity of the athletes representing Romania at the 2024 Olympic Games.
The official emblem of the Romanian team at the Olympic Games benefits from the approval of the International Olympic Committee, and is also registered as a national trademark no. 197717 of August 3, 2023, in the following form:
Details about the creation of the emblem are available here.
However, this is not the only intellectual property right associated with the participation of Romanian athletes in the Paris Olympic Games.
Each sports category seems to be accompanied by its own emblem or logo, which stylizes the features of that sport, as evidenced by the commercial communications of the Romanian Olympic Sports Committee:
Source: Romanian Olympic Sports Committee website, news section (here).
At the same time, in the field of copyright associated with fashion design, the parade uniforms of Romanian athletes were inspired by the motto “unity in diversity” – a celebration of each athlete’s personality, talent and spirit, being created especially for the Olympic Games by Designer Gyarfas Olah. According to the author’s statements (here), the collection entitled “Joie de vivre” is represented predominantly by yellow, both as a link with the national identity but also as a suggestion for an optimistic and friendly attitude.
The participation of Romanian athletes in the Olympic Games will take place under the slogan #totipentru1 (English: #allfor1) and during the sports competition, the Romanian Embassy in Paris will host the House of Hospitality or the House of Romania, with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in an emblematic building, one of the most beautiful buildings in Paris – the Béhague Palace (here, p.23-26).
The National Bank of Romania also showed its support for the Romanian athletes, launching a monetary set dedicated to the Olympic Games containing models in circulation with the nominal value of 1 ban, 5 bani, 10 bani, 50 bani (all subdivisions of the Romanian currency, leu) and a silver medal, displaying the Olympic torch next to the text “SUMMER OLYMPIC GAMES 2024”, as well as the portrait and name of George Gh. Bibescu, the first Romanian member of the International Olympic Committee (here).
Source: National Bank of Romania, website.
At the same time, the Romanian team at the Olympic Games will also be supported on musical harmonies, the Romanian Olympic Sports Committee launching, in collaboration with the band Voltaj, the song “From the heart for Team Romania” whose video is available on the YouTube Channel starting February 23, 2024 (here).
But intellectual property doesn’t stop there. “Between July 4 and 30, the exhibition of the best works of the Comic Book Olympiad, the fifth edition, will be outdoors, on the perimeter fence of the French Institute in Bucharest, and between August 1 and 25, it will be moved on that of Filipescu Cesianu House – Museum of Ages in Bucharest. An indoor exhibition will be organized in July – August 2024 in Marseille, France, after which it will return to Romania and, by the end of the year, it will be exhibited in different cities.” (here)
Thus, intellectual property is a constant presence in our lives, reflected on the products we find on store shelves, on the Internet, in the advertising and commercial communication materials we access. It impacts all sectors in which people are active. The Olympic Games are no exception, as they offer to all creators of intellectual or industrial creative works the opportunity to bring their ideas to life, supporting and promoting sports activity, from the design of an emblem that identifies the uniqueness of sports teams, to the creation of a slogan whispered by funs, to spectacular uniforms and music to celebrate the success of athletes.
Congratulation, Team Romania, on the accomplishments at the Olympic Games to date, and good luck with the following competitions!