Update on Olympic Games Trade-marks Bill

This is a follow-up to the May 31, 2007 post entitled New Library of Parliament Research Publications that mentioned Bill C-47: The Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act (Library of Parliament backgrounder). The bill "gives the Vancouver Organizing Committee of the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Games (the Organizing Committee) considerable powers to prevent the use of Olympic marks by businesses or individuals seeking to profit from an unauthorized association with the 2010 Games."

The legislation has been fast-tracked through Parliament. This has some analysts, as well as some members of Parliament, worried. As University of Ottawa law professor Michael Geist has noted in posts on the issue, "most of the MPs engaged in the debate recognized that the bill grants the Vancouver Olympic Organizing committee (VANOC) enormous power that should be carefully analyzed and should not be permitted to chill free speech, parody, or other legitimate activities." (May 18, 2007 post)