Title: A resolution expressing the sense of the Senate that ambush marketing adversely affects the United States Olympic and Paralympic teams.
Policy area: Sports and Recreation

Summary:
Expresses the sense of the Senate that: (1) official sponsor support is critical to the success of Team USA at all international competitions, and (2) ambush marketing adversely affects the U.S. olympic and paralympic teams and their ability to attract and retain corporate sponsorships.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. Res. 395 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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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;
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 activities 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
    Resolved, That it is the sense of the Senate that--
            (1) official sponsor support is critical to the success of 
        Team USA at all international competitions; and
            (2) ambush marketing adversely affects the United States 
        Olympic and Paralympic teams and their ability to attract and 
        retain corporate sponsorships.
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