III 

113TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. RES. 289 

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 

NOVEMBER 7, 2013 

Mr. BEGICH (for himself, Mr. BENNET, and Mr. THUNE) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

FEBRUARY 6, 2014 

Committee discharged; considered, amended, and agreed to with an amended 

preamble and an amendment to the title 

RESOLUTION 

Expressing the sense of the Senate that ambush marketing 

adversely affects the United States Olympic and 

Paralympic teams. 

Whereas the 2014 Olympic and Paralympic Games will occur 

on February 7 through February 23, 2014, and March 

7 through March 16, 2014, respectively, in Sochi, Russia; 

Whereas more than 5,500 athletes from 80 nations will compete in 7 Olympic sports and 1,350 Paralympic athletes 

will compete in 5 sports; 


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•SRES 289 ATS 

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, International Paralympic 

Committee, the Pan-American Sports Organization, or 

the United States Olympic Committee; 

Whereas Team USA is significantly funded by 31 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 Mar 15 2010 23:59 Feb 06, 2014 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6300 E:\BILLS\SR289.ATS SR289

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•SRES 289 ATS 

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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