Ambush marketing at the Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games: intellectual property profiles, risks and protection

Ambush marketing becomes particularly relevant in connection with the Milano-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, positioning itself at the intersection of law, communication and market dynamics. The applicable national and international framework provides a multi-level system of protection based on the safeguarding of the so-called Olympic Properties, trademark and copyright rights, as well as athletes’ image rights, also in light of Rule 40 of the Olympic Charter.

A central role is played by the special Italian legislation introduced by Decree-Law No. 16 of 11 March 2020, converted by Law No. 31 of 8 May 2020, in coordination with ordinary legal remedies, including unfair competition under Article 2598 of the Italian Civil Code. Significant legal and reputational risks for companies emerge, together with complex interpretative challenges in distinguishing lawful communication from parasitic conduct, calling for a careful balance between the protection of exclusive rights, freedom of economic initiative and principles of fair competition

This article was originally written by the Intellectual Property Observatory team, to which we refer for the whole text.

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