Ambush marketing is an attempt by an unauthorised party, through deliberate marketing activity, to take advantage of the high media profile of an event, team or individual (often of a sporting nature) at the expense of another company's official association with them, without paying any licence or sponsorship fees. This article looks at ambush marketing in the UK and considers the protections available, practical steps to counter ambush marketing and specific legislation in relation to the London Olympics 2012.

This article is part of the multi-jurisdictional guide to IP in Business Transactions. For a full list of contents visit www.practicallaw.com/ip-mjg.