Know-How Exchange : E-Marketing

Dear Pat,

Although your friend is thrilled, my advice is to make sure your friend is licensed to use the Olympic logo and title for any and all e-commerce ventures BEFORE he or she gets too deeply embroiled in any business venture—online or off.

Unless your friend is willing to apply to become an official sponsor or supporter of the Games in London both you and they need to be aware that it is unlawful to use the Olympic logo, name, or ring icon for retail or e-commerce use without permission.

If your friend is not licensed or is not willing to apply
for any logo use license, the full weight of the Olympic Committee's corporate wrath could be brought to bear
on his or her operation.

The Olympic logo is a registered trade mark, one its owners take great pride (and considerable expense) in protecting. The mantra here is to work WITH the Olympic logo managers, not against them. This means it's vital that your friend become an official commercial partner, sponsor, supplier or licensee.

To this end you'll find a detailed list of what can and
what cannot be done with the Olympic logo here:
https://www.london2012.com/about-us/our-brand/frequently-asked-questions.ph...

Tempted to skip this and fly under the radar? Don't. The link above includes e-mail addresses for retail and brand use. Be sure to use these e-mail addresses to carry out all due diligence. Think the Olympic Committee don't check and don't follow through? Think again: https://www.designtaxi.com/news/2378/Creative-Types-Warned-over-Olympic-Log...

I realize this answer probably isn't the one you were looking for but it's designed to save you time, trouble, pain, and expense.

Gary Bloomer
Wilmington, DE, USA

Tours.
Souvenirs.
Meet N' Greets.