The Olympic Properties This iconic Olympic symbol enjoys special
protection under the Nairobi Treaty on the Protection of the
Olympic Symbol. States that have signed up to the Treaty are
obliged to refuse or invalidate the registration as a mark and
to prohibit the use for commercial purposes of any sign
consisting of or containing the Olympic symbol, except with the
IOC ’s authorization. By Marianne Chappuis, Trademark Legal
Counsel, International Olympic Committee In the run-up to the
London Olympic Games which will get under way on July 27, 2012,
this third article in the WIPO Magazine IP and Sport series
explores how the International Olympic Committee (IOC) protects
the visual symbols of the Olympic Games, the so-called Olympic
properties, that are so familiar. Olympism is a philosophy of
life that places sport at the service of humankind. The Olympic
Movement encompasses concerted, organized, universal and
permanent action, carried out by many individuals and entities
who are inspired by the values of O