Commentary to Decree No. 440 of 5 December 2016
The regulations on using
Olympic and Paralympic symbols, their protection and commercial usage have been
improved in Belarus. Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko signed relevant Decree No. 440 “On using Olympic and Paralympic symbols” on 5 December.
The document has been adopted as part of Belarus’ efforts to honor its commitments to protect rights of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee in the country. The decree prohibits using Olympic and Paralympic symbols to mark legal persons, objects, merchandise, workers and services except when the right to do so has been granted by international or national Olympic and Paralympic committees.
Information about how and on what terms the permits can be obtained will be made available on the official websites of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus and the Paralympic Committee of Belarus in the World Wide Web.
Trademarks and service marks, which use Olympic and Paralympic symbols and were issued before the decree came into force, can be used until their registration term expires.
Apart from that, state-run non-for-profit physical training and sport institutions and secondary schools that specialize in raising athletes will be able to continue using Olympic and Paralympic symbols in their names.
The decree was signed in anticipation of the fact that Minsk will host the Second European Games in 2019. The decree has been worked out for the first time taking into account cutting-edge international experience in this field as well as recommendations of the International Olympic Committee.
The document has been adopted as part of Belarus’ efforts to honor its commitments to protect rights of the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee in the country. The decree prohibits using Olympic and Paralympic symbols to mark legal persons, objects, merchandise, workers and services except when the right to do so has been granted by international or national Olympic and Paralympic committees.
Information about how and on what terms the permits can be obtained will be made available on the official websites of the National Olympic Committee of Belarus and the Paralympic Committee of Belarus in the World Wide Web.
Trademarks and service marks, which use Olympic and Paralympic symbols and were issued before the decree came into force, can be used until their registration term expires.
Apart from that, state-run non-for-profit physical training and sport institutions and secondary schools that specialize in raising athletes will be able to continue using Olympic and Paralympic symbols in their names.
The decree was signed in anticipation of the fact that Minsk will host the Second European Games in 2019. The decree has been worked out for the first time taking into account cutting-edge international experience in this field as well as recommendations of the International Olympic Committee.