ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. has congratulated Barbados on becoming the first of the nine Host Venues to pass the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Bill and says it is looking forward to the…
ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Inc. has congratulated Barbados on becoming the first of the nine Host Venues to pass the ICC Cricket World Cup West Indies 2007 Bill and says it is looking forward to the other eight Caribbean countries doing likewise.
Speaking to the media ICC CWC 2007 Managing Director & CEO Chris Dehring noted it is imperative that every Host Venue which will stage matches next year has the regulatory and legislative framework in place to manage the tournament as obtains with all mega-sports events.
Barbados, which will host Super 8 matches and the Final, enacted its Sunset Legislation – the term by which the law is known – last month, thereby ensuring ICC CWC 2007 officials can protect the tournament’s integrity and prevent its exploitation by persons who have not acquired the right to officially associate with it: an activity known as ambush marketing.
“Barbados has been the trailblazer in this regard and, on behalf of the Cricket World Cup family, I would like to congratulate them on a historic first. It is a major step towards hosting the most prestigious tournament in international cricket and another definitive sign that the region is committed to this mission,” said Dehring.
“When the other eight Caribbean countries pass and enact their Sunset Legislation, what we will witness is the unique phenomenon of nine sovereign territories operating under one set of laws for the duration of the Cricket World Cup.”
Citing the ongoing FIFA World Cup in Germany, the ICC CWC 2007 Managing Director & CEO – who was among a number of Caribbean dignitaries who observed that country’s successful implementation of Sunset Legislation – reassured that “while such laws are new to this part of the world, they are the norm for any nation which is hosting a world games”.
“Sunset Legislation is a vital and necessary component of hosting such events. Germany saw the benefit of such laws and there have been some highly-publicised incidents in relation to Sunset Legislation and the football World Cup,” he stated, adding that similar legislation has already been passed for the 2012 London Olympics.
One scenario which made international headlines was FIFA’s ban on Dutch “lederhosen” (traditional trousers) which carried the name of a Dutch beer which was not an official tournament sponsor. Dutch fans were required to remove their trousers before being allowed to watch their team’s match versus the Ivory Coast.
FIFA’s determination to protect its sponsors’ rights as well as its intellectual property saw football’s world-governing body pursuing “more than 1,200 cases in 65 countries in connection with the 2006 FIFA World Cup trademark” even before the tournament began.
ICC CWC 2007 Senior Legal Counsel, Derek Jones, stressed: “This is the kind of action which could be taken against those who seek to commit infringements against the Cricket World Cup. Sunset Legislation gives tournament authorities the legal teeth to deal with such issues.”
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