January 21, 2021, New York - With international marketers readying for the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games, the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA) has released its latest edition of Ambush Marketing: A Global Legal Perspective. The book summarizes the laws and other rules governing ambush marketing in 69 countries around the world, provides examples of ambush campaigns that have hit the headlines, and discusses recent enforcement actions.
"Ambush marketing" is a controversial marketing practice that pits non-sponsors against rights holders. It is as prevalent as ever, as non-sponsors seek to associate their brands, rightly or wrongly, with significant sporting or entertainment events without needing to pay sponsorship fees.
Alex Kelham, Partner at GALA member for the UK, Lewis Silkin LLP, explained, "There is no consistent approach to regulating ambush marketing around the world. Marketers are always getting creative, pushing the boundaries, and with new, targeted laws being introduced to try to address the issue in certain countries, ambush marketing makes for a fascinating topic."
Christopher Chase, Partner at one of the GALA members for the US, Frankfurt Kurnit, added, "Because the laws – and their interpretation – vary greatly from country to country, rights holders and marketers must continue to be vigilant to remain in compliance, particularly when distributing a cross-border campaign."
In addition to updating the existing chapters, the third edition covers 18 new countries, including Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, China, Cyprus, Czech Republic, the Dutch Caribbean, El Salvador, Ghana, Hong Kong, Hungary, Kenya, Malta, Peru, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovakia, Ukraine, and the United Arab Emirates.
The Guide, which updates GALA's 2014 edition is available for purchase on Amazon.com and is also available directly from the Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (www.galalaw.com).
