Promoters and potential competition entrants have been warned to be careful when competitions are linked to the Rugby World Cup which gets underway in New Zealand tomorrow. Nishan Singh, Senior Associate at Adams & Adams Attorneys – the company that represented FIFA during the Soccer World Cup last year – says that even using the trademarked logo or the phrase could land competition organisers in hot water.
You need to be careful about the way in which you use a trademark
Singh says, “The Rugby World Cup 2011 is a registered trademark. Only the proprietor of the registered trade is authorised to use it. If you use it in the context that suggest that you are a sponsor, that will amount to ambush marketing. It occurs when the trader tries to utilise the publicity value of a sponsored event. You need to be careful about the way in which you use a trademark especially with regards to competitions.”
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