MOSCOW, October 24. /TASS/. The International Boxing Association (IBA) announced on Tuesday that it sent a letter of complaint to World Boxing accusing it of the illegal use of IBA’s official trademarks.
According to the statement published by the IBA’s press office earlier in the day, "The trademarks "World Boxing" and "World Boxing Tour" are registered properties of the IBA. The trademark proprietors restrict others from unauthorized usage, as utilization of a trademark is strictly prohibited."
"The IBA instructs that the organization immediately removes the "World Boxing" designation from all materials, including the official documents, website, social media, and to refrain from further use in public and the communications domain no later than 26 October 2023," the statement reads. "Additionally, IBA expects a public apology from the organization for this infringement within the same timeframe."
The statement also added that the "IBA retains the right to pursue legal action, seeking remedies for unauthorized use of our trademarks and associated damages."
Commenting on the decision, IBA Secretary General Chris Roberts said: "Such actions not only inflict reputational and financial harm upon IBA but also misguide the global boxing community regarding the legitimacy of the organization, particularly when we find another entity of boxing using those trademarks that specifically belong to IBA."
InsideTheGames sports web portal reported later in the day, citing a spokesperson for World Boxing, that the letter from the IBA had been received.
"We have received a letter from IBA, which we will discuss with our legal advisors in due course," the spokesperson stated.
InsideTheGames also reported that "the trademark for ‘World Boxing’ was registered [by the IBF] in May 2023, a month after the new body [World Boxing] was formed this year."
IBA’s situation
In 2019, the IOC announced a decision to temporarily revoke the IBA's recognition status with the organization citing the financial and management crisis within the IBA as the reason. The IOC demanded the international boxing federation make reforms and suspended it from the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Last June, the IOC ruled at its session to strip the IBA of its Olympic membership stating that the boxing federation "failed to fulfil the conditions set by the IOC in its decision communicated to the IBA on 9 December 2021 - which was not challenged by the IBA - for lifting the suspension of the IBA’s recognition."
Russia’s Umar Kremlev took the reins of the IBA in late 2020 and the international boxing federation took a stance against the IOC's recommendations to strip athletes representing Russia and Belarus of their national identity. Boxers from both countries compete in IBA-sponsored events without any international restrictions.
The boxing federations of the United States, Great Britain, Sweden, Germany, the Netherlands and the Philippines canceled their membership in protest and formed a new international organization, World Boxing.
The international sports organization regulating amateur (Olympic-style) boxing, World Boxing, was founded in April in response to the IBA’s strained relationship with the IOC.
On October 11, President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Thomas Bach has ruled out any chance of the International Boxing Association (IBA) being reinstated to the Olympic movement.
"With the IBA there’s no ongoing process, for us the case is closed… There will be no boxing with IBA in the Olympic program. It’s done. Full stop."
Commenting on the status of World Boxing, Bach said it still had some work to do if it wants to be recognized by the IOC.