Using FIFA logo & trade marks

Individuals who plan to make a small or big buck during the 2010 FIFA World Cup by producing, branding and selling their own world cup souvenirs, T-shirts, arts and crafts and other products should be very aware of FIFA. The organisation has vowed not to spare any person who’s illegally using its logo and trade marks for commercial purposes. And indeed, at a glance, the rules for of using the FIFA logo, the trade marks including the Zakumi figure, and various slogans before and during the 2010 world cup are severe. And not less important: the penalties – varying from fines to jail sentences – are not for sissies either.

The FIFA rules also apply for good-dooers who want to use the world cup logo or Zakumi to raise money for a charity organisation, non-profit organisation of non-governmental organisation. In other words: any activity that revolves around FIFA’s trade marks and earning money is basically a big no-no. So before you start to brand your services and products: make sure you know the rules, especially if you are not a world cup sponsor, partner and supporter.

Sponsors, partners and supporters

According to FIFA’s regulations, only the sponsors have the right to use the FIFA logo, trademarks, and various slogans. FIFA’s partners for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa are Adidas, Coca Cola, Emirates, Hyundai, Sony, and Visa. The event’s sponsors are Budweiser, Castrol, Continental, MacDonald’s, MTN, Yingli Solar and Satyam. Last but not least, the national supporters of the world cup are BP, First National bank (FNB), Neo Africa, Prasa and Telkom.

So what are those FIFA trademarks exactly?

Obviously the rules apply to the FIFA generic logo, the FIFA logo for the 2010 world cup, and the 2010 mascot Zakumi. In addition, the following phrases are protected as well:

* 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
* World Cup 2010
* RSA 2010
* Football World Cup
* FIFA World Cup
* South Africa 2010
* SA 2010
* ZA 2010
* 2010 FIFA World Cup
* 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa
* Africa 2010
* Soccer World Cup
* World Cup
* South Africa World Cup
* World Cup South Africa
* Confederations Cup
* 2010
* Twenty Ten
* Win in Africa for Africa
* Football for a better world

To top things off, the host city names have been protected too: Cape Town 2010, Bloemfontein 2010 or Mangaung 2010, Durban 2010, Johannesburg 2010, Mbombela 2010 or Rustenburg 2010, Polokwane 2010 or Pietersberg 2010, Port Elizabeth 2010 or Nelson Mandela Bay 2010, as well as Pretoria 2010 or Tshwane 2010. This simply means that you are not allowed to produce and sell T-shirts ( or what ever you want to sell or give away for free) branded with ‘Cape Town 2010’ of ‘Johannesburg 2010’, even if there is no relation to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

So, unless you are a sponsor, partner, supporter or have a license to use the FIFA trade marks you are not allowed to use the FIFA trademarks and slogans audibly or visually, you cannot mislead the public into that thinking that your brand is in any way affiliated to the event (so 2010 world cup cape town is a no-no, even if you are talking about the world cup crochet), you are not allowed to use the FIFA trade marks and slogans in promotional activities, which in any way, directly or indirectly.