III 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 395 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that ambush marketing adversely affects 

the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 7, 2018 

Mr. THUNE (for himself, Mr. HATCH, Mr. BENNET, Ms. KLOBUCHAR, and 

Mr. GARDNER) 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 the United States Olympic and 

Paralympic teams. 

Whereas the 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games 

will occur on February 9, 2018, through February 25, 

2018, and March 9, 2018, through March 18, 2018, respectively, in PyeongChang, South Korea; 

Whereas approximately 3,000 athletes representing 90 nations across 7 sports are expected at the Olympic Winter 

Games PyeongChang 2018 and 670 athletes representing 

approximately 45 nations across 5 sports at the 

Paralympic Winter Games PyeongChang 2018; 


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•SRES 395 IS 

Whereas American athletes have spent countless days, 

months, and years training to earn 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) established the United States Olympic Committee as the coordinating body for all Olympic and 

Paralympic athletic activity in the United States; 

(2) gave the United States Olympic Committee the 

exclusive right in the United States to use the words 

‘‘Olympic’’, ‘‘Olympiad’’, ‘‘Paralympic’’, and ‘‘Paralympiad’’, the emblem of the United States Olympic Committee, and the symbols of the International Olympic 

Committee and the International Paralympic Committee; 

and 

(3) empowered the United States Olympic Committee to authorize sponsors that contribute to the 

United States Olympic or Paralympic teams to use any 

trademark, symbol, insignia, or emblem of the International Olympic Committee, the International Paralympic Committee, the Pan-American Sports Organization, 

or the United States Olympic Committee; 

Whereas Team USA is significantly funded by 35 sponsors 

who ensure that the United States has the best Olympic 

and Paralympic teams possible; 

Whereas in recent years, a number of entities in the United 

States have engaged in marketing strategies that appear 

to affiliate themselves with the Olympic and Paralympic 

Games without becoming official sponsors of Team USA; 

Whereas any ambush marketing in violation of the Lanham 

Act (15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq.) undermines sponsorship acVerDate Sep 11 2014 02:30 Feb 08, 2018 Jkt 079200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR395.IS SR395

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•SRES 395 IS 

tivities and creates consumer confusion around official 

Olympic and Paralympic sponsors; and 

Whereas ambush marketing impedes the goals of the Ted 

Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act (36 U.S.C. 

220501 et seq.) to fund the United States Olympic and 

Paralympic teams through official sponsorships: Now, 

therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that— 

2 (1) official sponsor support is critical to the 

3 success of Team USA at all international competi4 tions; and 

5 (2) ambush marketing adversely affects the 

6 United States Olympic and Paralympic teams and 

7 their ability to attract and retain corporate sponsor8 ships. 

Æ 


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