Indian athletes step up fight against publicity rights violations by brands
Olympics athletes are stepping up their fight against advertisers indulging in unauthorised use of their name, image, or likeness for commercial purposes, following in the footsteps of their cricket counterparts. Sports marketing agencies Baseline Ventures and IOS Sports have issued legal notices to brands on behalf of PR Sreejesh and Manu Bhaker, respectively, for using their image or name in their marketing campaigns without prior permission of the athletes, or without having any official association with the international or Indian Olympic committees.
Sreejesh was part of the Indian hockey team that won the bronze medal while Bhaker created history by winning two bronze medals, one alongside Sarabjot Singh, at the Paris Olympics that concluded on Sunday.
«It's high time corporate firms understood the very basics of marketing and usage of IPs, especially firms that are already involved with sports. Our ask is very simple: pay and play,» Baseline Ventures managing director Tuhin Mishra said.
Baseline has asked Apollo Tyres to compensate Sreejesh for gaining exposure from his Olympics 2024 performance without authorisation or financial arrangement. Mishra said players like Sreejesh have worked hard to reach this level, and brands should stop taking advantage of athletes by presuming that nobody will fight on their behalf.
Earlier, brands could get away with free-of-cost moment marketing by issuing an apology or removing the creative in question, but now athletes and their agencies are demanding proper
