Your contact
Lukas Bühlmann
Sponsorship of major events, particularly sporting events, is big business worldwide. As more money is spent on the event, broadcasting rights, and infrastructure, so the cost of sponsorship rises. Inevitably this means official sponsors require protection against what is known as “ambush marketing”; the exploitation of the event by non-sponsors. So whether your brands, or clients’ brands, are official sponsors of a major event, an individual or team, or not a sponsor at all, the ‘arena’ of regulation is important. “Ambush Marketing – a Global Analysis” – this is the title of an e-book edited by Marina Palomba and Lukas Bühlmann. Contributions from a range of legal experts will cover some of the major jurisdictions and give you a comparative overview on how Ambush Marketing is dealt with. The important view of an event organizer and rights holder is provided by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA).
Ambush Marketing will be a phenomenon of increased legal awareness throughout the current year 2012 with two of the wolrd’s most prominent sport events – the UEFA EURO 2012 and the London 2012 Olympics – taking place. This paper looks at the legal and regulatory position in a number of jurisdictions around the world and sets out what it all really means for brands in practice. First however it considers what is meant by ambush marketing and debate whether the balance between protecting event holders and official sponsors and allowing freedom of commercial expression has been tipped too far in favour of the former, with the view from an event holder.
The e-book will be published and available very soon and we will provide a direct link to the relevant download area of the publisher. However, if you wish to be notified as soon as this is the case, send us an email and we will let you know.
The jurisdictions covered and the respective authors:
United Kingdom (including a special guide to the 2012 London Olympics):
Marina Palomba, McCann Erickson Advertising Worldgroup, London
USA:
Michael L. Novicoff, Liner Grode Stein LLP, Los Angeles
China:
Vivien Chan, Vivien Chan & Co., Hong Kong
Germany:
Fabian Reinholz, HÄRTING Rechtsanwälte, Berlin
Italy:
Lucia Ragaglini, Nunziante Magrone, Milan
Sweden:
Fredrik Roos, Setterwalls, Gothenburg
Switzerland:
Lukas Bühlmann, MLL Meyerlustenberger Lachenal Froriep Ltd., Zurich
