Yes, it’s true! With the London Olympic Games and Paralympic Games Act 2006 (UK), and similar laws pushed through in other countries as a condition of hosting a certain large quadrennial event (US- Amateur Sports Act of 1978; Canada- Olympic and Paralympics Marks Act), any infringing use of IOC ‘properties’ (similar to, but stronger than, trademarks) such as combinations of the words ‘summer/games’, ‘summer/2012’, the interlocked rings, etc., are a criminal (not civil) matter.
The following Venn diagram explains in more detail.
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