FIFA and Costa Rica working together for the protection of IP

By IDeas trademarks & patents

On December 20, 2019, the Bureau of the FIFA Council has confirmed that the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup 2020 will be played in August in Costa Rica and Panama. It will be the first ever co-hosting of a FIFA youth tournament and the second co-hosting of a FIFA tournament since the 2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan.

“We would like to thank the Costa Rican and Panamanian football associations for their commitment towards women’s football and the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in particular. We are looking forward to a fantastic competition in August," said FIFA’s Chief Tournaments and Events Officer Colin Smith.

“After the highly successful FIFA Women’s World Cup in France this year, it is important that we build on the momentum at all levels of the game. The U20WWC in Costa Rica and Panama next year is a perfect opportunity for us to continue driving the popularity of the game and with it being the first jointly hosted tournament – we can make the impact even greater," said Sarai Bareman, FIFA's Chief Women’s Football Officer.

The 16 participating teams will be divided into four groups of four with the best two of each group advancing to the quarter finals.
The number of stadiums to be used for the FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup Costa Rica and Panama 2020 will be discussed and confirmed with the two member associations, while details on the tournament’s time frame and match schedule will follow.
Nevertheless, FIFA send a letter to Costa Rica’s government requiring a series of guarantees such as tax exemptions, assurance for the protection of human rights, facilitation of visas and permits for the entry and exit of people involved in the competition, work permits for FIFA members and the correct application of all labor rights for workers involved in the World Cup.

Likewise, FIFA ask Costa Rica its collaboration in the protection of FIFA’s intellectual property rights. FIFA has established a closely controlled marketing programme for the benefit and protection of the Official Partners, Suppliers and Licensees who give their financial and value-in-kind support to the event, in return for a package of exclusive marketing rights. “Ambush marketing can be defined as the unauthorized association of a business or an organization with FIFA. Many companies try to “hitch a free ride” without making a financial contribution to secure the event and the game of football in general. FIFA has implemented a series of initiatives to ensure delivery of the rights, and to make sure that they, along with the event itself, are not undermined in any way. Efforts to stop the illegal use of FIFA’s intellectual property are well underway.”