Sports Law – Recent experience
Our track record is a long and successful one. In particular our involvement has included:
Olympic and Commonwealth Games
International Olympic Committee
Advising on copyright, trade mark and related commercial issues in relation to broadcasting agreements for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, as well as agreements for the Winter and Summer Olympic Games in 2010 and 2012.
Australian Olympic Committee
Advising on a wide range of issues associated with the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, including drafting and negotiating licensing and ticketing agreements, and advising on ambush marketing issues, trade mark issues, sponsorship issues and online media rights issues.
Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF)
Advising on the Host City contracts, broadcasting rights, marketing agreements, intellectual property assignments, and licensing issues in relation to the 2006, 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Official Law Firm for the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games
Advising on trade marks, designs, copyright licensing, host broadcasting agreement, international and domestic broadcasting television rights agreements, online and media rights and ambush marketing.
Sydney 2000 Olympic Games
Acting for SOCOG in negotiating the television rights for the Games in Australia with Channel Seven, and in the United States with NBC, as well as advising on venue agreements, land re-zoning and ticketing agreements.
International Sporting Events
Rugby World Cup Limited/IMG
Advising on the licensing of broadcasting rights for the Rugby World Cups 2011 and 2015. We also advised on trade mark, copyright, broadcasting and ambush marketing issues for the Rugby World Cup 2007.
Australian Grand Prix Corporation
Advising on intellectual property registration and enforcement, anti-counterfeiting strategies, general licensing and contractual issues in relation to both The Australian Grand Prix and the Australian Motorcycle Grand Prix.
Victoria Racing Club
Advising on a wide variety of issues including intellectual property, sponsorship and broadcasting issues, in relation to Australia’s premier international horse racing event, the Melbourne Cup.
AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour Inc
Advising on all issues associated with the 2008 Australian Beach Volleyball Tour including, on management and promotion issues, sponsorship arrangements, broadcast rights and local government licensing requirements.
Official Law Firm for the Rugby World Cup 2003
Advising on television rights, copyright, ambush marketing, sponsorship, licensing, customs programs, online broadcasting and sports betting issues.
Court of Arbitration for Sport
Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS)
One of our partners holds the position of Honorary Permanent Secretary for CAS Oceania and Allens is responsible for the administrative functions of CAS Oceania Registry. We have had extensive involvement in doping prosecutions, disciplinary proceedings and selection disputes.
Major Australian Sporting Bodies
Australian Rugby Union
Advising on the allocation of grants to state and territory rugby unions as well as trade mark registration, protection and disputes.
V8 Supercars Australia
Advising on Internet and mobile rights, broadcasting rights agreements, production arrangements, sponsorship arrangements, trade marks and anti-counterfeiting issues.
Cricket Australia
Advising on a range of matters including commercial agreements, intellectual property registration and enforcement and advising on an anti-counterfeiting strategy.
Australian Racing Board
Advising the national body which oversees and regulates thoroughbred horseracing in Australia, on intellectual property and confidential information issues.
Confederation of Australian Motor Sport (CAMS)
Advising on OH&S and event safety obligations.
Golf Australia
Advising on strategic, commercial and intellectual property matters.
Athletes
George Gregan Acting for the ‘most capped Wallaby ever’ in connection with the establishment of The George Gregan Foundation, its trade marks and fundraising activities.
Mark Webber
Advising this elite Formula 1 driver on anti-counterfeiting operations relating to co-branded Mark Webber/Red Bull Racing team merchandise.
Venues and Event Management
Victorian Major Events Corporation
Advising the organisation responsible for bringing major sporting events to Victoria, including the Formula One and Rugby Union’s Bledisloe Cup, since its establishment in 1993 on a wide range of matters.
Major Sports Facility Authority
Advising the body which manages Queensland’s major sports facilities on behalf of the Queensland Government, including the Gabba and Suncorp Stadium on trade practices compliance.
Media
Sky Channel
Acting for the world’s leading multi-venue racing broadcaster, to protect the use of Sky Channel’s broadcasting rights against copyright infringement by third parties showing racing footage over the Internet and on mobile telephones.
FOXTEL, News Limited and Premier Media Group
Successfully acting for these clients in the highly publicised, landmark Federal Court proceedings concerning claims that the acquisition of the AFL rights by News and the on sale of those rights to FOXTEL, Nine and Ten, the acquisition of the NRL pay rights by Premier Media and the content supply agreement between FOXTEL and Optus breached the Trade Practices Act 1974 (Cth).
Sponsorship
Sporting Sponsors
Advising a number of corporate sponsors of major sporting events including Ford, PepsiCo, Heineken Lion, Seiko, Coates Hire, Kraft and Cadbury Schweppes.
The Great Walk to Beijing
Acting for Austin Health in relation to its high-profile fundraising event, The Great Walk to Beijing 2008, aimed at raising funds for the construction of the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre in Melbourne, including advising on sponsorship issues.
Association of Surfing Professionals
Advising on television and broadband broadcasting, sponsorship and licensing issues.
Sporting Goods & Merchandise
Equipment Manufacturers
Advising sports equipment manufacturers such as Nike, Spalding, Bridgestone Sports and Acushnet (owner of the Titleist, Footjoy, Cobra and Pinnacle brands of golf clubs and golf equipment) on a range of issues including trade mark matters.
Sports & Entertainment Ltd
Advising on merchandising and licensing rights in respect of the Australian Rugby Union and 2007 Cricket World Cup.
