The protection of the Olympic properties in the digital environment: challenges and perspectives

This paper explores the challenges and perspectives in protecting Olympic properties in the digital environment, focusing on two issues: first, the protection of Olympic terms in Internet domain names, and second, the protection of the Olympic properties on social media from the perspective of the Olympic “Rule 40” in the context of Olympic Games (specifically the recent Paris 2024 Olympic Games). The first section addresses the special protection of the “Olympic” term under the applicable ICANN Regulation, highlighting its limitations in preventing unauthorized domain name registrations that are not exact matches with protected terms. The analysis of recent UDRP (Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy) cases reveals how these limitations are navigated through existing dispute resolution mechanisms. The second section examines the so-called “Rule 40”, which governs the use of the Olympic properties in social media communications. This paper discusses the complexities arising from the interactions between global regulations and their local implementations and between general IP protection mechanisms and specific mechanisms protecting the Olympic property, particularly in the context of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. It emphasizes the need for further development or adaptation to enhance the effectiveness of the protection of the Olympic properties in the digital space.