Regulations

1 Aug 2024 | 3 min

Regulation 18 – IP and Media Rights

Last Updated: 10 Sep 2024

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Contents:

1. Registered Marks

2. Copyright and Other Rights

3. Media Rights

4. Broadcasting Rights

5. Inappropriate or Offensive Branding, Advertising or Messaging

18.1 Registered Marks

No Club, Constituent Body, National Representative Body or Organising Committee or any member or group of members thereof either alone or jointly with others may use, or permit to be used, any of the RFU’s registered marks (including the Rose) without the prior written approval of the RFU Board of Directors or its delegate. Requests for approval should be submitted to the RFU.

The copyright in the fixtures lists and draws together with the database and other rights of and in Competitions shall vest in the RFU and must not be reproduced either in whole or in part except with the written consent of the RFU. The RFU hereby grants consent to the Organising Committees, Constituent Bodies and/or Clubs to reproduce fixture lists.

18.3 Media Rights

  • 18.3.1 Media Rights together with their sole right of exploitation save insofar as has otherwise been expressly agreed belong to the RFU.
  • 18.3.2 No Constituent Body or Club participating in any RFU Competition shall have or purport to have the right to exploit, license, sell, lease, franchise, grant or in any other way dispose of all or any part of the Media Rights save that of each participant in the Competition may use the RFU Competition’s name or the RFU Competition’s sponsor’s name.
  • 18.3.3 Each Constituent Body or Club participating in any RFU Competition will permit access to its ground without demanding any fee or payment to any person firm or company wishing to film, televise or broadcast any match in any RFU Competition provided such filming, broadcasting or televising is undertaken by a Company to whom the RFU sold such rights or has been previously agreed by the RFU which agreement will not be unreasonably withheld or delayed where it will not cause a breach of any contract but not further or otherwise.

18.4 Broadcasting Rights

No Constituent Body or Club shall take any part (either as organiser or participant or in any other way) in any match that is in whole or in part broadcast by means of radio, television or any other audio-visual or electronic media where doing so shall be a breach of any broadcasting or other contract entered into by the RFU or any other person acting for or on behalf of itself or any group or association of Clubs, Constituent Bodies or Unions.

18.5 Inappropriate or Offensive Branding, Advertising or Messaging

No Constituent Body, National Representative Body, National Constituent Body, club or such other entity shall display branding, advertising or messaging (including on, or incorporated into, any item of clothing (including training and playing kit) that may be deemed to cause offense or to be otherwise inappropriate. Such inappropriate material may include but not be limited to distasteful, threatening, abusive, indecent, insulting, discriminatory, or political messaging.

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