Nearly 200 IOC trademarks and designs protect the slogans and drawings of the ‘Olympic spirit’

A total of 45 brands and 146 designs have been registered by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) before the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) to protect and reserve the commercial rights of the slogans and drawings that reflect the ‘Olympic spirit’ for their use in the market formed by the 27.

He IOC is one of the most active ‘agents’ in the Euro-Agency for Intellectual Property (IP), which, headed by the Portuguese Joao Negrao and based in Alicante, is dedicated to the registration of trademarks, designs and community models, as well as hosting the European Observatory against piracy.

The most iconic drawing of the IOC They are, perhaps, the five Olympic rings (blue, yellow, black, green and red) that are recognisable worldwide, an element that has protected all economic goods, products and services included in the Nice IP classification.

He Olympic body The Lausanne-based company has processed all its registrations through a specialised law firm in Frankfurt (Germany) and reserves the right to use for commercial purposes all logos of the Games of the modern era, dating back to 1896, both summer and winter, including the ‘Paris 2024’ logo, which has been reserved for years.

Phryge, also protected

‘Phryge’, the mascot chosen by France for Paris 2024, is inspired by the red Phrygian caps that were the icon of the French Revolution (1789-1799) and, as could not be otherwise, is also protected by the EUIPO both in relation to the design and the name itself.

The Olympic journey into intellectual property begins years before each edition. Even before the flame leaves the Greek city of Olympia for the host city, IP rights are created, registered and acquired, as reflected in the fact that the upcoming Games in Milan Cortina d’Ampezzo 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 already have all their distinctive features protected for any economic or commercial sphere.

Another of the iconic elements specially protected by the IOC It is the universal Olympic motto, the Latin phrase ‘Citius altius fortius’ (Faster, higher, stronger).

By Olympic Village Thousands of athletes will pass through, and many of them are very aware of the benefits of intellectual property and have protected their names, slogans and even their most characteristic poses to avoid illicit or unethical use by third parties.

The Lebron James, Leon Marchand and Rafa Nadal brand

From LeBron James, the flag bearer of the United States, to Carolina Marín and the French swimmer Leon Marchand, including Rafa Nadal and Novak Djokovic, these are some of the best-known examples, as are the brands and designs of their clothing and sports shoes, all registered at EU level.

Similarly, equipment such as shot put, javelin and hurdles are protected by community trademarks and designs, as are some of the medals they receive on the Olympic podium.

The EUIPO is the second largest decentralised agency of the EU, with a budget of 589 million euros and almost 1,200 Euro-civil servants, and is dedicated from Alicante to intellectual property protection in any of the 23 official community languages, including the five working languages, which are English, French, German, Spanish and Italian.

The Euro-Agency is also present in Africa, America and Asia, and annually registers (from the five continents to operate in the Community) more than 170,000 trademarks and 100,000 designs and models.