Organizers of the Beijing Olympic Games have urged companies that didn't help finance the event not to use its exclusive logos and images, in order to protect sponsors' rights.

"When promoting a company's products or services, advertising agencies should not mislead people into thinking the company has any contact with the Olympics if it is not a sponsor," Chen Feng, deputy head of the marketing department of the Organizing Committee for the Beijing Olympic Games (BOCOG), told a press conference in Beijing on Tuesday.

Companies ought not to use the Olympic logo for commercial purposes, or potential commercial purposes, without authorization, Chen said.

From Aug. 1 to 27, unauthorized ads featuring athletes, coaches or officials related to the Olympics would be suspended.

Media operators should also step up scrutiny of non-sponsors' ads to avoid any content related to the Olympics.

"The Olympic sponsors funded the Games and in return they were given the exclusive rights to use the Olympics' intellectual properties," Chen said. "Only when the sponsors' interests and rights are protected, can the Olympic Games be staged with stable funding."

Chen cited examples of copyright breaches such as companies offering tickets to Olympic events as prizes or using Olympic symbols such as the torch in their advertisements.

(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2008)