Drafting Sports Merchandising & Licensing Agreements

MBL Seminars

This one day intermediate level workshop will guide delegates through the complex provisions of sports merchandising and licensing agreements. Without trademark rights and copyright protection, the licensors and licensees are not able to legally protect their interests against infringers, ‘ambush marketers’ and counterfeiters, of which there are always many such 'freeloaders'.

The clauses in the corresponding agreements need to be drafted carefully and reflect the particular circumstances and dynamics of the sporting events to which they relate.

Main points covered:

• With sports personality licensing, does the agreement need to contain a so-called ‘Morality Clause’?
• Will a breach trigger termination of the licensing and/or merchandising agreement?
• What about rights of exclusivity and options to renew?
• Will ‘Matching options’ be legally enforceable or do they fall foul of National or European Competition Rules?
• What about dispute resolution - public or private?

The morning session will review the latest relevant case law, sports regulations and practices. The afternoon session will be highly practical and interactive based on a critical analysis and review of a standard Sports Licensing/Merchandising Agreement; a copy of which will be supplied on registration to give delegates the chance to familiarise themselves with its provisions in advance.

Speaker: Ian Blackshaw, Solicitor. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sports Law; he is a Visiting Professor at Cambridge, and is an Honorary Fellow of the International Sports Law Centre of the TMC Asser Instituut in The Hague. He is also a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland where he is also a member of the WIPO Panels on ‘Domain Names’ and ‘Expert Determination’. He is a regular speaker at conferences on aspects of Sports Law and IP, a contributor to professional journals, and the BBC World service. He is a popular speaker and presenter well known for his interactive style and clarity of presentation.

More information, click here.

To book online click here.