ICC engages CII for WC commercial rights protection

ICC engages CII for WC commercial rights protection

ICC

MUMBAI: The International Cricket Council (ICC) has engaged Copyright Integrity International (CII) to work closely with its existing in-house legal team on the management of a rights protection programme for next year‘s World Cup, which gets underway on 19 February.

Based in Bengaluru, CII is a specialist in online and offline anti-piracy protection services for sports clients. It will provide the ICC with a suite of commercial rights-protection and anti-piracy services and solutions such as online content and broadcast protection, comprehensive trademark and brand protection and media terms enforcement, in a programme designed to protect the ICC’s intellectual property rights from the threats of piracy, ambush marketing and unlicenced use.

ICC GM commercial Campbell Jamieson said, "Our commercial partners and sponsors make our events possible and generate significant funding for the global game. The aim of the ICC’s commercial rights protection programme is to maintain the exclusivity of their association with our events. It is vital that those rights are protected so that our partners’ investments can be channelled into the development of cricket throughout our 105 Members."

CII CEO Dr Clinton Free added: “It’s a privilege to be engaged by a client such as the ICC to manage the commercial rights-protection programme for such a globally significant event as the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Our extensive services and experienced team will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that the event is an unqualified success. Our role will include not only the monitoring and enforcement of infringements but also an education programme for the public that will ensure wholesome enjoyment of the event with due respect to the ICC’s commercial partners and sponsors.”

The ICC’s legal team has been working hard over the past few months to develop strategies to combat unlawful association with the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, particularly within the three host territories of India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.

As part of that programme, it has recently released brand and content protection guidelines for the tournament. Through a series of FAQs and illustrations, this document provides other companies and members of the public with a guide to how they might associate with the event without infringing the rights that have been granted to the ICC’s official partners.