Adidas and other sports manufacturers will have to scale down their logos for the 2006 Winter Olympics in order to conform with International Olympic Committee (IOC) rules.
The IOC regulations ban brand logos larger than 20 square centimetres on uniforms starting at next year’s Olympics in Turin, Italy.
Andre Gorgemans, secretary general of the Swiss-based World Federation of Sporting Goods Industries, said on Tuesday he received a letter from the IOC spelling out the rules.
”The letter merely refers to the Olympic charter,” Gorgemans said.
”These are not new rules, but now the IOC will be strictly enforcing them.”
IOC officials said the letter was sent on April 26 and detailed an executive board directive aimed at establishing parity among sports manufacturers.
Adidas-Salomon AG would be the most visibly affected company because of its famous three-stripe logo, Gorgemans said. Other brands which would be forced to make adjustments include Fila, Arena, Umbro, Hummel and Kappa, he said.
”Obviously Adidas is unhappy with this and they want to reserve their historical right,” Gorgemans said.
Adidas spokesperson Anne Putz said the ruling would force the German sporting goods giant to remove its three-stripe logo from clothing, but not from shoes and other equipment.
”We are in contact with the IOC marketing department and we hope to reach a long-term solution,” she said. – Sapa-AP