Safeguarding investment in major sporting events
The Albanese Government is protecting investments in major sporting events by improving safeguards for commercial rights and helping prevent unauthorised ambush marketing. Legislation introduced to Parliament today will strengthen the process around protections for the official names, logos and images of major international sporting events. These protections help ensure only official partners and sponsors can use event branding, preventing others from misleading the public by pretending they are associated with the event, and safeguarding the investment made by official sponsors.
The Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Amendment Bill 2026 provides for a more flexible and timely approach that allows key words and phrases associated with major sporting events to be declared by the Minister for Sport via legislative instrument, rather than through amending legislation for each major event. Clear criteria will ensure protections apply only to events of genuine international significance.
These changes reinforce Australia’s position as a leading host of world-class sporting competitions, as we prepare for significant upcoming events, including the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. Powers already exist under the law to protect commercial rights associated with major events. These allow the Australian Border Force to seize imports that infringe protected indicia or images and means rights holders can take court action if they consider someone has used protected indicia or images for commercial purposes without authorisation.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Sport, Anika Wells: “With exciting events like the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the horizon these changes help ensure Australians are getting what they paid for when supporting their favourite team or country at major sports events. “These laws make sure we have the right settings in place to protect the sponsors that help make major sporting events possible.
“It means the Albanese Government can respond quickly and keep attracting and hosting some of the biggest sporting events in the world.”