[Congressional Bills 112th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 487 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

112th CONGRESS
  2d Session
S. RES. 487

  Expressing the sense of the Senate that ambush marketing adversely 
 affects Team USA and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and should 
                            not be condoned.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                              June 7, 2012

  Mr. Begich (for himself, Mr. Bennet, Mr. Boozman, and Mr. Isakson) 
submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee 
                on Commerce, Science, and Transportation

_______________________________________________________________________

                               RESOLUTION


 
  Expressing the sense of the Senate that ambush marketing adversely 
 affects Team USA and the Olympic and Paralympic Movements and should 
                            not be condoned.

Whereas the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games will occur on July 27 
        through August 12 and August 29 through September 9, respectively;
Whereas more than 10,500 athletes from 204 nations will compete in 26 Olympic 
        sports, while 4,200 Paralympic athletes will compete in 20 sports;
Whereas Team USA athletes have spent countless days, months, and years training 
        in hopes of earning a spot on the United States Olympic or Paralympic 
        teams;
Whereas the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (36 U.S.C. 220501 et 
        seq.)--

    (1) made the United States Olympic Committee the coordinating body for 
all Olympic-related and Paralympic-related athletic activity in the United 
States; and

    (2) gave the United States Olympic Committee the exclusive right in the 
United States to name, seals, emblems, and badges;

Whereas Congress also authorized the Committee to allow companies to use any 
        trademark, symbol, insignia, or emblem of the International Olympic 
        Committee, International Paralympic Committee, the Pan American Sports 
        Organization, or the United States Olympic Committee in furtherance of 
        the United States Olympic efforts;
Whereas Team USA is significantly funded by 35 sponsors who assure that the 
        United States has the best team competing for the Nation;
Whereas, in recent years, a number of entities have engaged in ambush marketing 
        as a marketing strategy, affiliating themselves with the Olympic and 
        Paralympic Games without becoming sponsors of Team USA;
Whereas ambush marketing harms the Olympic and Paralympic Movements, undermines 
        sponsorship activities, and allows competing companies an unfair and 
        unethical advantage over companies who are officially sponsoring Team 
        USA and providing funding for the elite athletes of the United States; 
        and
Whereas efforts to prevent ambush marketing have enjoyed limited success as the 
        strategies ambush marketers use continue to multiply: Now, therefore, be 
        it
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) ambush marketing should not be condoned, especially 
        those marketing efforts that adversely affect the ability of 
        Team USA to attract and retain the necessary sponsorships to be 
        successful at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London, 
        England; and
            (2) corporations in the United States should be encouraged 
        to cease all ambush marketing efforts, particularly related to 
        the Olympic and Paralympic Movements.
                                 <all>