ARTICLE · 24 JULY 2007

New Legislation Targets Olympic "Ambush Marketing"

Stikeman Elliott LLP

Explore more from Stikeman Elliott LLP

The federal Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act is designed to prevent both unauthorized use of the Olympic or Paralympic trade-marks and logos, and the creation of "misleading business associations" by broadening the scope of protection and strengthening available remedies.

CanadaIntellectual Property

Intellectual Property Group

Author LinkedIn connections

On June 22, 2007 the federal Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act received Royal Assent. The new legislation is designed to prevent both unauthorized use of the Olympic or Paralympic trade-marks and logos, and the creation of "misleading business associations" in the Olympic context, by broadening the scope of protection and strengthening available remedies. The Act aims to safeguard the substantial goodwill attached to the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and their associated trademarks and logos (the "Olympic Brand"), and addresses the issue of "ambush marketing."

Ambush marketing is a practice by which non-sponsor firms attempt to profit by associating themselves, or their brands, with the Olympic Brand. This decreases the value of sponsorship agreements to paying sponsors, and thus is harmful to the event organizers as it may reduce the amount of sponsorship funds that can be raised.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

Related Articles

Before You Pitch, Demo, Post Or Sell: How Tech Companies Lose Patent Rights (And How To Avoid It)

CanadaIntellectual Property

Trademark Owner Who Failed To File Evidence In Expungement Proceeding Has Registration Reinstated On Appeal

CanadaIntellectual Property

Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala

Comparative Advertising Online: When SEO And Social Media Tactics Create Trademark Risks

CanadaIntellectual Property

What’s The Misuse? Defence Of Copyright Misuse Survives Further Motion To Strike In Millennium Funding v. Bell Canada

CanadaIntellectual Property

A Court Order Is Not A Suggestion: Federal Court Finds Counterfeiter In Contempt

CanadaIntellectual Property

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Intellectual Property
- Trademark

Related Comparative Guides

Comparative Guide

Trademark Disputes

Comparative Guide

Patent Litigation

Comparative Guide

Intellectual Property

Comparative Guide

Franchise & Licensing

See more popular content from

Intellectual Property

Québec's Bill 96 And Trademarks: Still In Force, And Being Enforced!

The regulations affecting trademarks weren't fully in effect until 2025. More than a year later, the number of complaints against businesses has never been higher.

CanadaIntellectual Property

Licensing vs. Franchising: Understanding The Difference In Ontario

In Ontario, business owners typically consider franchising versus licensing as they plan to grow their company. Both methods promote growth through the resources of a third party, but they work in dramatically different ways.

CanadaIntellectual Property

Pacific Legal PC

CIPO Fast Tracks Critical Minerals Patents

Canada's Intellectual Property Office has introduced a new expedited examination program for patent applications in critical technology sectors. The Key Technology Expedited Program waives the advanced examination fee and promises first office action within seven months for qualifying applications related to critical minerals supply chain innovations.

CanadaIntellectual Property

Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala

CanLII And Caseway Reportedly Settle AI Copyright Dispute

CanLII, Canada's free legal database, and Caseway, an AI legal research platform, have reportedly reached a settlement in their copyright dispute over the use of legal case data for artificial intelligence training purposes. The resolution addresses concerns about unauthorized use of publicly available legal materials and the boundaries of AI development in the legal technology sector.

CanadaIntellectual Property

Patenting Innovation In Data Centres: Protecting Configurations, Cooling Technologies, And The Green Advantage

The rapid expansion of data centre infrastructure has made these facilities a focal point for technological innovation and intellectual property investment. From server configurations to advanced cooling systems, the technologies deployed inside data centres represent significant R&D expenditure and competitive advantages. Patent protection offers operators and developers opportunities to safeguard innovations...

GlobalIntellectual Property

Fast-Tracking Your Patent Application In Canada: CIPO Expands The Key Technology Expedited Program

For Canadian innovators, the patenting process can seem unreasonably slow. In an effort to address this, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office (CIPO) created various procedures to expedite the examination process in Canada. Knowing which fast track options exist, when they make sense, and how to use them effectively can provide a significant commercial advantage.

CanadaIntellectual Property

CIPO Issues Practice Notice On Redacting Postal Addresses And Removing Unrelated Documents From TDRS

The Canadian Intellectual Property Office has issued new guidance on when trademark applicants can redact postal addresses or remove documents from public records. Understanding these strict requirements and exceptional circumstances is crucial for protecting privacy while maintaining compliance with Canada's trademark registration transparency obligations.

CanadaIntellectual Property

Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala

Trademark Owner Who Failed To File Evidence In Expungement Proceeding Has Registration Reinstated On Appeal

Trademark owners facing expungement for failing to file evidence of use in section 45 proceedings may have recourse through the Federal Court appeal process. The recent Lion Corporation case demonstrates how administrative errors by trademark agents can be remedied, allowing registrants to file additional evidence and potentially reinstate their registrations when the failure was beyond their control.

CanadaIntellectual Property

Oyen Wiggs Green & Mutala

Patently Absurd, Episode 20: IP, The IPO, And Canada, Eh? (Podcast)

The patent landscape is evolving as entrepreneurs and investors seek new approaches to protecting IP rights consistently across jurisdictions. Organizations like the Intellectual Property Owners Association provide forums to voice concerns, analyze issues, and advance policies aimed at accelerating innovation across borders.

GlobalIntellectual Property

Protecting Trade Secrets Using Non-Disclosure Agreements

Recent US case law has raised the possibility that the common practice of including an expiry date in a non-disclosure agreement or "NDA" (also known as a confidentiality agreement)...

GlobalIntellectual Property