The Albanese Government has delivered improved protections for major sporting events and organisations in Australia, with new laws passing Parliament today.
The Major Sporting Events (Indicia and Images) Protection Amendment Bill 2026 provides a modern and more flexible approach to safeguarding commercial rights, and helps protect consumers from counterfeit merchandise.
It helps prevent unauthorised ambush marketing by strengthening protections for the official names, logos and images of major international sporting events.
By ensuring only official partners and sponsors can use event branding at sporting events, these protections prevent misleading marketing and claims by others pretending to be associated with the event.
The new laws allow the Minister for Sport, under clear and defined criteria, to declare future major sporting events by legislative instrument instead of changing primary legislation for each new event - providing a more flexible and streamlined process.
This is an important step in the Albanese Government's work to ensure Australia has the right settings to attract and host world-class sporting competitions in the lead-up to the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games and beyond.
Quotes attributable to Minister for Sport, Anika Wells:
"The Albanese Government is making sure Australians know exactly where their money is going when they support their team or country at major sporting events.
"These laws improve safeguards for the sponsors that make major events possible, preventing rip-offs that don't contribute to our sporting legacy.
"As we gear up for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, the Albanese Government is ensuring Australia maintains its reputation as a pre-eminent host of major international sporting events now and into the future."
