Ambush marketing: the book

The IPKat's friend Phillip Johnson is a Visiting Senior Fellow at Queen Mary Intellectual Property Research Institute and a barrister at 7 New Square, where he specialises in IP. As such, he is well qualified to offer his opinion on the legal niceties of one of the IPKat's favourite areas of conflicts between rights and opportunities and between competing claims of morality: ambush marketing. His book, Ambush Marketing: a Practical Guide to Protecting the Brand of a Sporting Event, was published by Sweet & Maxwell at the very beginning of 2008 in its EIPR Practice Series -- and what a worthy member of that series it is.

The author writes with confidence and conviction. As he points out, he not only explains how to prevent ambush marketing but how, by taking due legal precautions, to carry it out. The scope of the text ranges beyond conventional intellectual property law, covering relevant aspects of topics such as defamation. There is also a substantial non-UK section, reviewing the corresponding provisions--or lack of them--in eight other jurisdictions including Greece (the home of the Olympics), the United States (where most of the medals so far have ended up), China (where most of the medals will end up in the future) and New Zealand (well, why not?).

What the publisher says:

"Ambush Marketing includes an analysis of the law relating to ambush marketing. It provides guidance for those involved with major sporting events and on how the law and other strategies can be used to limit ambush marketing.

It assists those wishing to advise on marketing or advertising campaigns in and around sporting events providing practical advice on how to go about marketing these big events, covering all major IP issues that might arise.

This book discusses the importance of sponsorship, the concept of ambush marketing and how ambush marketing can be prevented. By giving you key insight into this topic for both those trying to limit ambush marketing and those who use ambush marketing, it considers the advantages and disadvantages of ambush marketing, so you can reach informed decisions for your clients.

This is the first book to properly analyse Olympic association right and London Olympics association right. It outlines information on the legislation in place to protect events in some countries for example the Grand Prix in Australia and specific ambush marketing protection in South Africa".

Bibliographic details: xlvii + 243 pages, paperback. ISBN 978-1-847-03394-9. Price on publisher's website £79. Rupture factor: little to worry about.