Abstract

Ambush marketing is defined as the unauthorised association by a third party with a major event, undermining the commercial function of official sponsorship. Established areas of law, such as intellectual property (trade mark, copyright), unfair competition or trade practice law, and the protection of Olympic Symbol under the Nairobi Treaty (1981) have left a grey area for ‘smart’ ambush marketers. This paper will present the results of a study of ambush marketing instances since 1984, and consider the effectiveness of current legal responses, especially special events legislation.

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