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Staff Reporter
Seoul has decided to change the name of its Seoul Design Olympiad (SDO) from next year.
The decision came after the International Olympic Committee (IOC) submitted a written protest over Seoul's use of the term "Olympiad"without seeking prior authorization. The IOC regulates the use of Olympic-related terms and goods.
This comes as a major embarrassment for Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, a lawyer by occupation, who came close to being sued for using the term without permission.
Oh ignored calls made by pertinent organizations to change the name for nearly two years before yielding, leaving a black mark on the major international design event.
The Korean Olympic Committee (KOC) forwarded the IOC letter to Seoul. The city, in turn, asked to use the term for this year's event, which will be held this month.
Seoul officials claimed there is no legal problem because the official title of the design fair uses the word Olympiad, rather than "Olympics." Nevertheless, the KOC said that it would be a breach of a copyright, as Seoul often plugs the event as Olympics.
Choi Eun-ki, a KOC official, told the Korea Times that the only way Seoul can use the term is to become an official sponsor of the Olympic Games.
"In 2007, the IOC informed us that Seoul's use of Olympics without its permission would be a violation of its copyright,'' Choi said, adding that the KOC and IOC thought Seoul had accepted their notification and was planning to take corrective action.
"Both the IOC and KOC cannot believe that a metropolitan administration would violate the copyright for such an international event," he added.
The Seoul government claimed it has consulted its own lawyers and found no problems. But to avoid further disputes, Mayor Oh decided to seek a compromise.
The SDO will have a grand opening on Wednesday with various artists worldwide participating to deliver the event's main theme, "i-Designer (anyone can be a designer)."
Seoul City Hall is considering alternatives that include words such as "Fair," "Hanmadang" (grand festival) and "Norijangteo" (playground and marketplace). The city is planning to announce a new name at the closing event on Oct. 29.
bjs@koreatimes.co.kr
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