Large Number of Olympic Medal Imitations Appear on E-commerce Platforms in the US, Raising Infringement Concerns
TapTechNews August 12th news, the Paris Olympics have come to an end. According to China Business News, a large number of Olympic medals imitations have appeared on multiple e-commerce platforms. These imitations are sold on platforms such as Pinduoduo, Taobao, JD.com, and Douyin, and their appearance is almost indistinguishable from the medals won by athletes in the Paris Olympics, with prices ranging from 111 yuan to 402 yuan.
On Taobao, a Olympic medal has been purchased by more than 100 people within a week, and more than 1000 people have added it to their shopping carts. On Pinduoduo, a new product labeled Olympic medal costs 117.99 yuan and has been sold 231 pieces. JD.com has a product directly labeled as 2024 Paris Olympic Games medal model collection 1:1 replica souvenir. Most merchants on Douyin avoid the words Paris Olympics and emphasize that it is a souvenir of 1:1 restoration of the gold medal of the 2024 summer sports athletes' sports competition.
Some merchants claim that their goods are almost the same as the Olympic gold medal, made of zinc alloy, which is wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant. Public information shows that the Paris Olympic gold medal consists of 523 grams of silver and 6 grams of gold and contains an old iron piece from the Eiffel Tower. However, the medals sold on e-commerce platforms mostly use zinc alloy, weighing 340 grams and with a diameter of 8.5 centimeters.
Judging from user comments, most consumers buy these medals for collection purposes. However, lawyers warn that these medals have infringement risks. As TapTechNews understands, the Olympic gold medal usually contains the Five Rings logo, the Olympic emblem, etc. These logos are protected by the Olympic Symbol Protection Regulations. Without permission, no one may use the Olympic logo for commercial purposes. Merchants' imitation and sale of Olympic gold medals infringe the exclusive rights of the Olympic logo.
In addition, the design and pattern of the gold medal may be protected by copyright law. Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, etc. may constitute copyright infringement. If merchants engage in false advertising during the sales process, it may constitute unfair competition behavior. Even if some merchants label ordinary souvenirs in the product pictures, it cannot reduce their infringement risk because the protection of Olympic exclusive rights covers direct use on goods, packaging, and advertisements.