With the 2021 Olympics in Japan only a matter of a few months away, I am sure that we will see a fabulous range of balloon decor and designs to celebrate this awesome world sporting event. I am sure that in many cases it will be a replication of the Olympic rings. I recently did an image search on the internet using the keywords Olympic, Rings, Balloons, and the page filled with many different interpretations of this iconic symbol made with balloons.
So, my question is, are we legally allowed to reproduce trademarked characters and logos such as the Olympic rings?
The 2012 Olympics were held in London, U.K. There were several reported cases of small businesses getting into trouble by the Olympic committee. A florist was asked to remove "tissue paper" rings from her shop window. A butcher who had created a sign depicting the Olympic rings as sausage links was told that if he did not remove his sign that he would get into a lot of trouble. Even an elderly lady who had embroidered the Olympic rings onto a doll's outfit to sell for charity was informed that it would be against the law for her to sell it!