ABSTRACT
On 22 June 2007, the Olympic and Paralympic Marks Act (OPMA) was given royal assent after a remarkably swift passage through Parliament. The OPMA creates a kind of super trade-mark status for a series of Olympic and Paralympic marks, notwithstanding that Olympic and Paralympic marks were already protected under existing Canadian law. This chapter is about the extraordinary protection afforded to Olympic and Paralympic marks, the pressures placed on the Canadian government to provide such protection, the poverty of the Parliamentary input on the issues raised by the legislation, and the consequences of its enactment. The OPMA was part of the deal that allowed Vancouver to succeed with its bid to host the 2010 Olympic Games. Hosting the Games can be an important opportunity for both the host city and host nation to bask in the international spotlight for three weeks of intense media coverage, with all of the potential associated economic benefits.
