FIFA kicks logo misuse into touch

The FIFA World Cup 2018 begins this week and will be supported by billions of people around the world. But beware of using the logo in your social media profile picture!

Many fans will be using social media to show their support for their country by uploading images of their country’s flags and the World Cup logo as their profile pictures.

However, you may not be aware that by uploading the World Cup logo in your pictures on social media you could be infringing intellectual property rights owned by FIFA. During the previous World Cup in 2014 FIFA asked Twitter to notify over 100 users that they were using their trade mark without their consent and to have them remove the images.

FIFA owns a number of trademarks which include WORLD CUP 2018 and RUSSIA 2018, along with the logos and emblems. They include guidance on their website which clearly states that they will take enforcement against any unauthorised use.

Although this may appear harsh to the fan who simply wants to show their support, FIFA do make a very valid point when it comes to protecting their trademarks and their business.

Most of the funding for the World Cup is through sponsors who, in return for their sponsorship, are granted the use of the trade marks to state that they are official partners of the World Cup. If anyone was allowed to use the trade marks then the sponsors would have no reason to invest their funds.

Also, some of the trade marks are registered in other countries where the law differs to English or EU trademark laws. In the US, the courts have sometimes ruled that you can lose title to a trade mark if you fail to enforce against its infringement. They refer to this as “abandonment” of the trade mark.

So it is clear why FIFA and many other large companies continue to protect their trade marks so aggressively in this way, even against their own fans. If they didn’t then the companies and the events may well not exist at all as they wouldn’t be able to secure the funding.

PS. the image used in this article is courtesy of Shutterstock.

MORE INFORMATION 

Whilst your own business may not generate the sponsorship opportunities of the World Cup it is still important to protect your assets. If you require your own trademarks to be registered to ensure that your intellectual property is best protected then we can assist you with this. Please contact our Corporate Law Department for more information – call us or email by using the form to the right.The contents of this article are for the purposes of general awareness only. They do not purport to constitute legal or professional advice. Specific legal advice should be taken on each individual matter. This article is based on the law as of June 2018.