Avoid the Red Card: 2018 World Cup Restrictions

It’s time to dust off that Vuvuzela, find your jersey, and cut up some orange slices. In a little over a month, the entire world will be tuning into the 2018 World Cup. We’re sure you’re familiar with how popular this competition is, but it’s worth noting that the 2014 World Cup was watched by 3.2 billion viewers. That’s nearly half the population of the entire world.

The 2018 World Cup is bound to be just as popular as ever, which means that football-related designs should be on the agenda. Time to upload some creative designs!Of course, before you start designing, it’s essential that you familiarize yourself with any relevant copyright/trademark rules and regulations. Fortunately for you, we’re here to help, as we’ve detailed the restrictions below.

World Cup Designing Restriction

Just before you put on your creative hat, be sure not to base your own designs too closely on the official imagery (designs, logos, etc.) as these are protected. The same is true for word marks, of course. Avoid any reference to trademark phrases when naming or describing your designs. The following list will give you some indication of what to avoid, but please note that list is not exhaustive:

FIFA
FIFA World Cup
Football World Cup
World Cup 2018
Russia 2018
WM 2018
WK 2018
Zabivaka
ФИФА
Россия 2018

You’ll also be restricted from using any slogans, including “For the Game. For the World” and “Where the stars align.”

As mentioned above, both Marketplace designs and your Shop (including design names, descriptions, tags, Shop headers, and Shop images) really can’t use any trademarked slogan, specific mentions of “FIFA” and “FIFA World Cup,” and any references to a specific national football associations (including the DFB (Germany), FA (UK), USMNT (USA), and FFF (France)).

In regards to designs, Spreadshirt does not support the unauthorized distribution of trademarked images. This also includes any logos for FIFA’s sponsors, partners and other affiliated companies.

These restrictions really only skim the surface of what isn’t allowed. To see the usability of any trademark, you can rely on the following resources:

Please refer to FIFA’s website for specific information on brand protection.

Ultimately, we don’t want you to be confused or tentative as you’re producing World Cup designs. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact legal@spreadshirt.net (EU) or verify@spreadshirt.com (US). Otherwise, familiarize yourself with all the relevant restrictions, and get ready for things to kick off!

High-profile events and legal restrictions go hand-in-hand. Do you have any experience dealing with these limitations? If you have any tips or insight, feel free to leave a comment!