2024-07-25 11:09:03
The amounts of money spent by the official sponsors of the Olympic Games are counted in tens of millions of euros. And watch out for those who match Olympic symbols without permission. An SME in the North of France, called “Olympiades” has been ordered to change its name or face legal action.
At this SME in the Dunkirk area, we customize soccer, handball or basketball team jerseys. ” We print the labels and then place them on the fabric,” explains the manager Guillaume Bourgeois in the press room where he is in the compound of the local court of the Stenvoorde Association.
The company is a priori far from the Olympic contract. Based in Sock (North), the SME with eleven employees provides equipment to sports clubs and communities in the region.
Fines of hundreds of euros
Guillaume Bourgeois bought the company in 2016 under its then name, “Olympades”, but in mid-January, he received a letter of authorization from the Organizing Committee for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games (COJO) and the Olympic Sports Committee of the French Republic (COJO) CNOSF).
« It was a letter that came to simply explain to us that we do not have the right to use our name, “Olympiads” because it is protected, he said. We are being forced to change our name, otherwise, it will be resolved legally. It’s a cold shower, and it’s also very scary because of course, there are fines of hundreds of thousands of euros. These are head-turning values. It’s a little scary. »
« We do not cast a shadow on the Olympics »
« Then, we have a feeling of injustice, witness leadership. We don’t understand. We are not overshadowed by them, we are a small company in Hauts-de-France. Our job, to caricature it a bit, is to go equip the basketball team in the next town. So really, we have nothing to do with that. We can’t talk about injury. »
After several weeks of negotiations, an agreement was reached in July. A formal notification goes unanswered, and the SME has six to eight months to change its name. ” No negotiation is possible on this topic, we understand that very well, continued Guillaume Bourgeois. I have always had good faith, I have always said that we will do what is necessary. If we don’t do it right, it’s up to us to solve the problem, so we will solve it. On the other hand, there is always a cost for a name change. Today, it is estimated around 60 000 €. »
Olympic rings, flag, anthem: around twenty brands to protect
At the origin of this process, the Legal Affairs Department of Paris 2024. One of its missions is to protect the host of trademarks associated with the Olympic Games: the Olympic rings, and the agitos for the Paralympic Games, flag, anthem, Olympic acronym, or certain expressions such as “Olympic”, or “Olympic”.
« All these brands are the property of Paris 2024, Explained Romain Voillemot, director of legal affairs for Paris 2024. This is an asset that Paris 2024 can effectively offer to partners who associate themselves with these brands which are very strong in their communication. »
« As they use our brands, we seek to protect them to ensure that companies do not come to do “wild marketing”, that is to say that they place themselves in the theft of the Games to make a profit, without participated to fund the Games. » concluded Romain Voillemot.
Read againThe 2024 Olympic Games: is the security system enough?
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