In the Law360 article “Skating, Twirling And Juggling IP Risk At The Winter Olympics,” Knobbe Martens partner Jason Champion discussed the complexities of advertising and sponsorship regulations surrounding the 2026 Winter Olympics.
The article explores various intellectual property issues that arise during the Olympic Games, including nuanced copyright rules, rigorous trademark protections, and the International Olympic Committee’s ‘Rule 40’, which governs participating athletes’ advertising and sponsorship capabilities.
Speaking on the nuances of Rule 40, Champion suggested that athletes and their teams can proactively manage potential conflicts between sponsoring companies and the IOC by carefully reviewing advertising agreements for each entity. In particular, existing licensing agreements could allow a company to co-brand their advertising if they are sponsoring both the Games and an athlete or team, he noted.
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