How Vogue Manufacturers Win Gold on the Olympics  – Brooklyn Sports activities & Leisure Regulation Weblog

In 2024, Olympic vogue has advanced past plain uniforms, and encapsulates efficiency, cultural diplomacy, and high-end branding. Louis Vuitton set the tone for the 2024 Paris Olympics by unveiling a custom-designed Olympic Torch Trunk for the occasion, bearing its signature brown checkboard canvas and mixing its trademarked craftsmanship with the occasion’s conventional spirit.¹[1]Alexandria Sillo, Olympic Triumph: Louis Vuitton Creates Bespoke Trunks for the 2024 Video games, Galerie (July 26, 2024), https://galeriemagazine.com/louis-vuitton-olympic-medals-torch-trunks/. Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy’s (LVMH) $160 million funding in Olympic-related ventures, together with medals offered on custom-designed Louis Vuitton trays and Olympic volunteers wearing Louis Vuitton uniforms, exemplifies this fusion of luxurious and sports activities.²[2]Bisman Kaur & Radha Khera, Olympics 2024: When Vogue Manufacturers Strike Gold, Asia IP (July 31, 2024), https://asiaiplaw.com/article/olympics-2024-when-fashion-brands-strike-gold. This unprecedented partnership marks LVMH as the primary luxurious model to function an official sponsor of the Olympic Video games themselves.³[3]Kaya Ginsky, LVMH Places Mark on Olympics as Luxurious Manufacturers Embrace Sports activities, CNBC (August 11, 2024), https://www.cnbc.com/2024/08/11/lvmh-puts-mark-on-olympics-as-luxury-brands-embrace-sports.html

With thousands and thousands of viewers tuning in globally, vogue manufacturers are desperate to affiliate themselves with the Olympics to capitalize on this worldwide publicity. Nevertheless, this elevated visibility carries dangers, together with difficult athletic endorsements, inevitable trademark infringement, and counterfeiting issues. The query arises: What ought to vogue manufacturers know earlier than coming into the aggressive Olympic enviornment?

Guidelines of the Sport: The Authorized Protections of Olympic Logos
On the core of Olympic branding are stringent protections enforced by the Worldwide Olympic Committee (IOC) and the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).⁴[2]Snapshot: The place Do Manufacturers Stand When it Involves Olympics Logos?, The Vogue Regulation, https://www.thefashionlaw.com/resource-center-snapshot-where-do-brands-stand-when-it-comes-to-olympics-trademarks/. Each organizations defend their logos vigorously, holding unique rights to phrases like “Olympic,” “Paralympic,” and to the enduring interlocking rings brand.⁵[5]Id. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Workplace at present holds 154 registered Olympic logos.⁶[6]Fara Sunderji, How Manufacturers Can Compete within the Video games With out Being Official Sponsors, IPWatchdog (July 24, 2024), https://ipwatchdog.com/2024/07/24/brands-can-compete-games-without-official-sponsors/id=179327/.

The Ted Stevens Olympic and Newbie Sports activities Act, enacted in 1978, enhances this safety by permitting the USOPC to forestall unauthorized use of U.S. Olympic logos with out the necessity to show shopper confusion—in any other case an important factor for typical trademark holders⁷[7]Id.; Newbie Sports activities Act of 1978, Pub. L. No. 95-606, 92 Stat. 3045 (1978).. The reason being financial: the federal authorities offers no direct monetary help to Crew USA, so the sponsorship income is essential,⁸[8]Id. and any unauthorized use of Olympic branding threatens this earnings stream.

Given the occasion’s world scale, Olympic authorized complexities prolong past borders. Mental property legal guidelines differ; civil legislation international locations prioritize first-to-file trademark regimes, whereas frequent legislation international locations prioritize first-to-use rules.⁹[9]Bisman Kaur & Radha Khera, Olympics 2024: When Vogue Manufacturers Strike Gold, Asia IP (July 31, 2024), https://asiaiplaw.com/article/olympics-2024-when-fashion-brands-strike-gold Manufacturers should perceive these worldwide variations to guard their pursuits successfully.

Furthermore, the IOC depends on income from its personal mental property to fund athletes and set up the Olympic Video games, making trademark safety important not only for authorized causes, however for the sustainability of the Olympic motion.¹⁰[10]Olympic Properties, Worldwide Olympic Committee, https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-properties. The World Mental Property Group (WIPO) and treaties just like the 1981 Nairobi Treaty on the Safety of the Olympic Image reinforce world cooperation to safeguard these property by mandating that member states invalidate unauthorized use of the Olympic rings.¹¹[11]Abstract of the Nairobi Treaty on the Safety of the Olympic Image (1981), World Mental Property Group, https://www.wipo.int/treaties/en/ip/nairobi/summary_nairobi.html#:~:textual content=Olympicpercent20Symbolpercent20(1981)-,Summarypercent20ofpercent20thepercent20Nairobipercent20Treatypercent20onpercent20thepercent20Protectionpercent20ofpercent20the,aspercent20apercent20markpercent2Cpercent20etc.). By collaborating with WIPO and different entities, the IOC demonstrates its dedication to sustaining the worth and integrity of the Olympic model, guaranteeing that the advantages of this prestigious occasion can proceed to help the sports activities neighborhood and uphold the Olympic spirit.

Understanding and adhering to those sturdy authorized protections round Olympic logos are important for vogue manufacturers coming into the Olympic enviornment. These protections safeguard the Olympic model by making a safe and controlled surroundings for official sponsors, lowering the danger of unauthorized use, authorized disputes, and reputational hurt. For manufacturers that adjust to these guidelines, the Olympics provide a worthwhile alternative to realize world publicity by limiting challenges from unauthorized competitors.

Counterfeiting Challenges in Olympic Vogue and How Manufacturers Fight Them
The 2024 Olympics noticed a major surge in counterfeit items, a recurring problem at main sporting occasions.¹²[12]Aaron West, On the Olympics, Superior Counterfeiting Means Superior Prevention, The Vogue Regulation (July 26, 2024), https://www.thefashionlaw.com/at-the-olympics-advanced-counterfeits-means-advanced-prevention/. With elevated shopper pleasure, influencer-driven advertising, and a flood of worldwide vacationers, counterfeiters exploited the heightened demand for Olympic-themed vogue.¹³[13]Id. This resulted in a proliferation of pretend merchandise, starting from unauthorized Olympic logos to counterfeit luxurious objects, resulting in monetary losses and reputational harm for affected manufacturers.¹⁴[14]Id.

Counterfeiting additionally raises critical moral issues, equivalent to the opportunity of poor labor practices and environmental points.¹⁵[15]Id. Forward of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the IOC educated over 20,000 legislation enforcement officers in counterfeit detection to fight this problem.¹⁶[16]IOC Places Strong Anti-Counterfeiting Efforts in Place to Defend Shoppers and Keep Athlete Assist Forward of Paris 2024, Worldwide Olympic Committee (July 29, 2024), https://olympics.com/ioc/information/ioc-puts-robust-anti-counterfeiting-efforts-in-place-to-protect-consumers-and-maintain-athlete-support-ahead-of-paris-2024. Additional, the French authorities carried out strict measures to curb counterfeit gross sales, issuing warnings at airports and imposing fines as much as roughly $326,000 and three years of imprisonment for violations.¹⁷[17]Emily Kappers, Preetha Chakarabarti, & Suzanne Giammalva, Authorities Go for Gold on Pretend Vogue Enforcement as Paris Olympics Start, Crowell (July 26, 2024), https://www.retailconsumerproductslaw.com/2024/07/authorities-go-for-gold-on-fake-fashion-enforcement-as-paris-olympics-begin/. Raids on common vacationer websites, such because the Saint-Ouen flea market in Paris in April 2024, resulted within the confiscation of over 63,000 counterfeit merchandise, together with pretend Louis Vuitton and Nike objects.¹⁸[18]Helen Reid, Layli Foroudi, & Mimosa Spencer, In Olympics Push, France Ramps Up Conflict on Pretend Vogue, Reuters (July 9, 2024), https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/deja-vu-olympics-push-france-ramps-up-war-fakes-2024-07-09/. These actions underscored the dedication to defending each designer manufacturers and the Olympic model, in addition to defending shoppers.

Manufacturers should be proactive to safeguard their merchandise too. Registering logos and copyrights with customs authorities permits them to forestall counterfeit items from coming into key markets and from reaching shoppers.¹⁹[19]Emily Kappers, Preetha Chakarabarti, & Suzanne Giammalva, Authorities Go for Gold on Pretend Vogue Enforcement as Paris Olympics Start, Crowell (July 26, 2024), https://www.retailconsumerproductslaw.com/2024/07/authorities-go-for-gold-on-fake-fashion-enforcement-as-paris-olympics-begin/. By selling approved retailers and offering shoppers with steering on figuring out real merchandise, manufacturers can defend their integrity whereas guaranteeing that the Olympic spirit and the status of their labels stay untarnished.²⁰[20]Id.

Navigating the Authorized Complexities of Athlete Endorsements
The intersection of vogue and sports activities creates distinctive alternatives for model partnerships via athlete endorsements. As Giorgio Armani as soon as defined, “Sports activities will at all times be vital in world tradition, and so vogue … will at all times incorporate influences from sports activities.”²¹[21]Aaron Howes, Giorgio Armani Talks Streetwear, Youth Tradition & His New Exhibition, Highsnobiety, https://www.highsnobiety.com/p/giorgio-armani-interview/. This synergy permits manufacturers to sponsor Olympians, permitting them to realize model visibility and faucet into the cultural significance of sports activities as a strong affect within the vogue business. Notable collaborations, like Armani dressing Crew Italy and Ralph Lauren styling Crew USA, illustrate excessive vogue’s presence within the Olympic enviornment.²²[22]Bisman Kaur & Radha Khera, Olympics 2024: When Vogue Manufacturers Strike Gold, Asia IP (July 31, 2024), https://asiaiplaw.com/article/olympics-2024-when-fashion-brands-strike-gold. This probably challenges conventional athletic manufacturers like Adidas and Nike in sports activities vogue as luxurious labels proceed to embrace this enviornment. In immediately’s influencer-driven period, athletes have turn into trendsetters, enabling manufacturers to faucet into new shopper demographics and align with a rising athleisure market valued at over $350 billion.²³[23]Id. This pattern emphasizes the rising significance of athlete endorsements in model methods, with projections suggesting that the sports activities sponsorship market will double by 2030 as firms search to leverage the affect of athletes to reinforce their visibility and shopper engagement.²⁴[24]Id.

Nevertheless, authorized complexities come up in these partnerships. For example, athletes affiliated with a model may discover themselves competing in occasions sponsored by rival manufacturers, creating potential conflicts of curiosity. Addressing these intricacies requires cautious planning to make sure compliance with contractual obligations and to safeguard reputational integrity, particularly in unique agreements. Laws like Rule 40 of the Olympic Constitution additional complicate this panorama by limiting athletes’ means to advertise non-official sponsors throughout a “blackout interval” across the Olympic Video games.²⁵[25]Id. Whereas designed to take care of the exclusivity of official sponsors, this regulation poses challenges for athletes and types with present endorsement offers. Violating Rule 40 can lead to penalties for athletes, whereas manufacturers threat dropping partnerships with Olympians. To adapt, manufacturers have developed inventive content material that highlights athletes’ journeys and coaching with out immediately advertising merchandise, navigating the intersections of vogue, legislation, and sport.²⁶[26]Id.

Vogue’s Olympic Victory: Authorized Protections for the Win
Trying forward, the Olympics will probably proceed to push the boundaries of how vogue and sports activities intersect, fueled by improvements in digital advertising and rising demand for unique, high-quality sportswear. As sponsorship and shopper dynamics shift, manufacturers that may navigate evolving authorized challenges will stay poised to spice up their profitability and to paved the way in shaping the way forward for vogue within the sports activities world.

Because the fusion of vogue and sports activities continues to evolve, the Olympic Video games present a worthwhile platform for athletes and types. From superstar endorsements to the fierce safety of mental property, the authorized panorama may be as aggressive because the video games, however luxurious manufacturers like LVMH are taking part in to win. For these daring sufficient to enter this enviornment, the rewards are as grand because the Olympic stage: world affect, model loyalty, and a spot on the rostrum of cultural relevance.

Article by: Sydney Wall

Sydney Wall is a 2026 J.D. Candidate at Brooklyn Regulation College