Thought Experiments : The Blog

Friday, October 05, 2007

Olympic Mind Games

Sorry if my use of this headline gets the blog closed down, Bryan. Apparently it infringes the IOC's protected brand - as an unfortunate children's author found out when he titled his latest yarn this. The IOC came down on him and his publishers like a ton of bricks, threatening legal action to get the book withdrawn. They only backed down when the media got interested - and then only on the grounds that it had sold so few copies. So presumably if we all go and buy it, they'll pounce again... The first fags I ever bought (as a fresh-faced 9-yr-old lad) were called Olympic. Innocent times.

# posted by Nige : 8:29 AM  

7 Comments:

  • At October 05, 2007 8:44 AM, Blogger Bryan Appleyard said…

    It nearly closed down the blog because of your original spelling of Olympic. I have fixed it.

     

  • At October 05, 2007 8:53 AM, Blogger Nige said…

    Ta - I lost the little pencil tool. Fingers all over the place today.

     

  • At October 05, 2007 12:59 PM, Blogger Tom P. said…

    You are joking, right? The IOC doesn't honestly think they make "Olypic Games" a trademark. Does this mean that every publisher of a book on ancient Greek history will be sued?

     

  • At October 08, 2007 8:54 AM, Blogger Kathryn said…

    It isn't just restricted to 'Olympic Games' merely the word Olympic is protected. As far as I know they are not attempting to retroactively pursue books and products but anyone wishing to publish between now and 2012 (stick london in front of 2012 and you are also under threat of legal action).

     

  • At October 09, 2007 10:52 AM, Anonymous Robert Ronsson said…

    It's all resolved now. London 2012 has agreed to allow me continue to sell the book under the original title Olympic Mind Games because it believes to take action would be 'disproportionate'. Despite this outcome I still believe it's wrong for these regulations, which I generally have sympathy with, to apply to the fictional book titles.

     

  • At October 09, 2007 10:55 AM, Anonymous robert ronsson said…

    How did Nige post his original comment about this at 08.29 on Friday when the story didn't break on the Radio 4 Today programme until 08.45?

     

  • At October 10, 2007 8:11 AM, Blogger Nige said…

    I have supernatural powers, Robert - but it might have something to do with the Blog Clock always being an hour out. We on Thought Experiments prefer to live in the past.

     

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