1. What are the Olympic and Paralympic symbols?
2. Why is it important to protect the Olympic and Paralympic Symbols?
3. What is the Russian legislature’s view on the use of the Olympic and Paralympic symbols?
4. What do international requirements say on Olympic and Paralympic symbols?
5. May I attach Olympic symbols to my products?
6. May I use Olympic symbols on my website?
7. May I decorate my shop with Olympic symbols?
8. What will happen in case of an illegal use of Olympic symbols?
9. May I become a marketing partner of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee?
10. What are the conditions for participating in the Sochi 2014 marketing programme?
11. May I get permission to use Olympic symbols?
12. What are the conditions for creating hyperlinks to the official website of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee?

1. What are the Olympic and Paralympic symbols?

The list of the Olympic and Paralympic symbols and their specific rules are established by Federal Law No. 310-FZ of 01.12.07. ‘On the Organisation and Holding of the ÕÕII Olympic Winter Games and the XI Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi, the Development of Sochi as a Mountain Climate Resort and the Amendment of Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation? (see Clause 1 of Article 7):

‘… Olympic symbols shall mean the terms «Olympic», «Olympiad», «Sochi 2014», «Olympian», «Olympic Winter Games», «Olympic Games» and the words and expressions derived from them, as well as the Olympic symbol, fire, torch, flag, anthem, motto, emblems, and historical symbols of any previous Olympic Games. Paralympic symbols shall mean the terms «Paralympic», «Paralympiad», «Paralympian», «Paralympic Winter Games», «Paralympic Games» and the words and expressions derived from them, as well as the Paralympic symbol, fire, torch, flag, anthem, motto, emblems, and historical symbols of any previous Paralympic Games. The Olympic and Paralympic symbols shall also include works of visual art, musical compositions, literary works and other works containing Olympic and/or Paralympic symbols or their elements and intended for identification of the Olympic and/or the Paralympic Games … ‘

2. Why is it important to protect the Olympic and Paralympic Symbols?

Any illegal use of the Olympic and Paralympic symbols will impair not only the Games organisation process, but also the reputation and legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

The Russian Federation Government has an agreement with the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee whereby the former will provide one quarter of the Committee’s budget. The Organising Committee is responsible for generating the remaining 75% through the marketing opportunities associated with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. The proceeds from broadcast, marketing sponsors, licensing and ticketing will be significantly larger than the amounts currently stated in the budget document. A total of 60% of the Committee?s profit will be spent on developing sports in Russia, another 20% will meet the needs of the International Olympic Committee, with the remaining 20% to be used by the Olympic Committee of Russia.

This profit utilisation pattern is valid only on the condition that the Olympic and Paralympic symbols are used in compliance with law.

3. What is the Russian legislature’s view on the use of the Olympic and Paralympic symbols?

Use of the Olympic and Paralympic symbols is regulated by Clause 2 of Article 7 of the law ‘On the Organisation and Holding of the ÕÕII Olympic Winter Games and the XI Paralympic Winter Games 2014 in Sochi, the Development of Sochi as a Mountain Climate Resort and the Amendment of Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation?, viz: ‘The use of Olympic and/or Paralympic symbols, including for identification of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs or goods, works or services produced, performed or rendered by them (in trade names, commercial signage, trademarks, service marks, appellations of places of origin) or otherwise, as long as such use creates an impression that such persons are associated with the Olympic Games and the Paralympic Games, shall be permitted only provided that an agreement to this effect has been concluded with the International Olympic Committee and/or the International Paralympic Committee or organisations authorised thereby?. Since items subject to legal protection mainly include the exclusive rights to trademarks, pursuant to Article 1484 of the Civil Code of Russia, the person to whose name the trademark is registered has an exclusive right of using that trademark in line with Article 1229 of the Civil Code and in any way that would not contradict national legislation (exclusive entitlement to trademark), that is the holder of the said right will be entitled to use the trademark at his own discretion unless it should contradict the law. The right holder can dispose of an exclusive right to trade mark (Article 1233 of the CC of Russia).

Other persons are not entitled to use the trademark unless permitted by the right holder. A trademark usage (including usage in ways provided for in the Civil Code of the Russian Federation) that has not been permitted by the right holder is considered illegal and as such shall entail a liability as established by the Civil Code of Russian and other laws.

The exclusive right to trade mark may be called for the purposes of a differentiation of trademarked goods or services (good or services that have a registered trade mark as per the classes of International Classification of Goods and Services as stated in the trade mark certificate). Such differentiation may take place in the following forms:

1. By way of attaching the trademark to packaging and price tags of the goods that are produced or proposed for sale, are on sale, are demonstrated in exhibitions or fairs, are handled otherwise, stored, or imported into or exported out of Russia.
2. During the provision of trademarked services;
3. By way of inserting the trademark into the documentation associated with an introduction of the goods into civil turnover;
4. By way of inserting the trademark into proposals to the effect of selling the goods or providing the service and into advertisements, announcement or publicity statements;
5. By way of uploading the trademark online or using it in the domain name or in other methods of addressing.

In view of the risk of a trademark perception confusion, with relation to trademarked or homogeneous goods nobody has a right of venturing a trademark that looks similar to the one registered unless permitted by right holder.

It must also be noted that in the process of preparing and staging the Olympic and Paralympic Games there may be created items of intellectual property that are entitled to copyright and related rights, the protection of which is also guaranteed by the law.

The procedure to protect the denominations and other items that contain an Olympic symbol and that are listed in Article 7 of the Olympic Law is described in the Russian legislation on monopolies, competition (e.g. Article 14 of Federal Law No. 135-FZ of 26.07.06 ‘On Protecting Competition?), publicity and advertising (Article 38 of Federal Law No. 38-FZ of 13.03.06 ‘On Publicity?) and safeguarding consumers? rights.

Pursuant to Article 8 of the Olympic Law, the following is regarded as unfair competition with certain consequences to ensue as stipulated in the Russian antimonopoly legislation:

1. Selling or exchanging goods or using them in the economy otherwise if such action involved an illegal utilisation of an Olympic and/or Paralympic symbol;
2. False representation, including creation of a false impression about the goods producer or the goods advertiser as being associated with the Olympic or Paralympic Games albeit in the quality of a sponsor.

4. What do international requirements say on Olympic and Paralympic symbols?

International positions on the subject include international intellectual property requirements spelled out in the Paris Convention For the Protection of Industrial Property, the Bern Convention For the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, the Convention Establishing the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), the World Intellectual Property Declaration, the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the Olympic Symbol and in special norms agreed upon with relation to Olympic symbols (e.g. The Olympic Charter).

The use of Olympic and Paralympic symbols is regulated by Chapter 1 ‘Olympic Movement and Its Activity? and by clauses 7 through 14 of the Olympic Charter.

The Olympic Games are an exclusive property of the International Olympic Committee, which holds all the rights thereof, and all related data. For instance, the International Olympic Committee owns the Games rights which are associated with the Games organisation effort, including usage, broadcasting, recording, representation, reproduction, access and distribution in any form and by any means and methods either currently available or those that may become available in the future. The International Olympic Committee determines the terms of access to and use of data that are associated with the Olympic Games or the competitions and performances during the Olympic Games.

The Olympic flag, motto, denominations (including but not limited to the words ‘Olympic Games and Games of the Olympiad?), symbols, emblems, fire and torches, whether regarded individually or collectively, are Olympic Property. All the rights to each such item and all items of the Olympic Property collectively belong solely to the International Olympic Committee, including but not limited to the right to commercial use, making profit thereof and use for advertising purposes. The International Olympic Committee may choose to license all or some of its rights to third parties on the conditions regulated by the executive board of the International Olympic Committee.

Since most items subject to legal protection include exclusive rights to trademarks, it is important to refer to the Madrid Agreement Concerning the International Registration of Marks of April 14, 1891. The agreement, and the protocol thereto, set the procedure and terms of international registration of trademarks. The Russian Federation is one of the signers of both the agreement and the protocol.

International registration of trademarks and service marks is undertaken by the International Intellectual Property bureau in Geneva. A title protection document is issued to each trademark registered in the Bureau.

The document contains the details of the trademark, the trademark holder, the classes of goods or services to which the registered trademark applies as per International Classification of Goods and Services, the countries in which the trademark is to be protected, the date of application for the registration, the date of the issuance of the document and the term of the trademark protection.

Under the Madrid Agreement (see Clause 1 of Article 6) the general rule is for the protection to last twenty years from the date of the application for the international registration. The international registration can be extended to a second twenty-year term starting from the day the previous such term expired. For such prolongation all that needs to be done is a payment of the basic fee (see Clause 1 of Article 7 of the Madrid Agreement).

5. May I attach Olympic symbols to my products?

Attaching Olympic symbols to one?s products without express permission to do so, issued by the International Olympic Committee and/or the International Paralympic Committee or parties authorized by them is illegal.

6. May I use Olympic symbols on my website?

Doing so without an express permission from the International Olympic Committee and/or the International Paralympic Committee or parties authorized by them is illegal.

7. May I decorate my shop with Olympic symbols?

Doing so without an express permission from the International Olympic Committee and/or the International Paralympic Committee or parties authorized by them is illegal.

8. What will happen in case of an illegal use of Olympic symbols?

Illegal utilisation of Olympic symbols can lead to either civil, administrative or punitive action.

9. May I become a marketing partner of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee?

Yes.. According to the master plan for the preparation of Sochi 2014 Olympic Games, the marketing programme, including such aspects as sponsoring, manufacturing and introducing products containing Olympic symbols, is scheduled to commence on January 1, 2009.

10. What are the conditions for participating in the Sochi 2014 marketing programme?

The conditions and principles governing participation in the marketing programme will be made available to stakeholders after January 1, 2009.

11. May I get permission to use Olympic symbols?

The mechanisms for legal use of Olympic and Paralympic symbols will be made available to stakeholders after January 1, 2009.

12. What are the conditions for creating hyperlinks to the official website of the Sochi 2014 Organising Committee?

Inward links are allowed provided the connection to the website is only through text. Only members of the Olympic Family — the International Olympic Committee, the Russian Olympic Committee, the international sports federations and other Olympic Games organising committees — as well as the main sponsors, the sponsors of the Olympic Games organising committees and the official Games-hosting cities may use the official emblem of Sochi 2014 for links. Along with that it is recommended that the inward links lead to the home page of the website.

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