CABINET CHAILLOT
PATENTS TRADEMARKS DESIGNS
French Patent & Trademark Attorneys - European Patent Attorneys - Representatives before EUIPO
ISO 9001 CERTIFIED
The upcoming Olympic Games (Olympics) in Paris in 2024 provide the opportunity to remind that the use of some terms relating to the Olympic Games is regulated under French law.
Indeed, the terms, colors, drawings (even a flame emoticon) referring to the Olympics are to be banned because they are reserved for sponsors.
"I.- The French National Olympic and Sports Committee owns the national Olympic emblems. It is also the keeper of:
1° The emblems, flag, motto and Olympic symbol ;
2° The Olympic anthem;
3° The logo, the mascot, the slogan and the posters of the Olympic games;
4° The vintage of the editions of the Olympic games "city + year", in a joint way with the French Paralympic and sporting Committee;
5° The terms "Olympic Games", "Olympism" and "Olympiad" and the acronym "JO";
6° The terms "Olympic", "Olympian" and "Olympienne", except in common language for normal use excluding any use of one of them for promotional or commercial purposes or any risk of causing confusion in the mind of the public with the Olympic movement.
II - The fact of registering as a trademark, reproducing, imitating, affixing, deleting or modifying the elements and terms mentioned in I, without the authorization of the French National Olympic and Sports Committee, is punishable by the penalties provided for in Articles L. 716-9 to L. 716-13 of the Intellectual Property Code.
The following have already been prohibited: the use of flags of different countries on a site to sell sports articles; the term "OLYMPRIX".