By Wentworth                                           S.B. No. 529
       74R3845 DWS-F
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to remedies for unauthorized use of certain Olympic
    1-3  symbols.
    1-4        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-5        SECTION 1.  Subchapter C, Chapter 16, Business & Commerce
    1-6  Code, is amended by adding Section 16.30 to read as follows:
    1-7        Sec. 16.30.  OLYMPIC SYMBOLS.  (a)  Without the permission of
    1-8  the United States Olympic Committee, a person may not, for the
    1-9  purpose of trade, to induce the sale of goods or services, or to
   1-10  promote a theatrical exhibition, athletic performance, or
   1-11  competition, use:
   1-12              (1)  the symbol of the International Olympic Committee,
   1-13  consisting of five interlocking rings;
   1-14              (2)  the emblem of the United States Olympic Committee,
   1-15  consisting of an escutcheon having a blue chief and vertically
   1-16  extending red and white bars on the base with five interlocking
   1-17  rings displayed on the chief;
   1-18              (3)  a trademark, trade name, sign, symbol, or insignia
   1-19  falsely representing association with or authorization by the
   1-20  International Olympic Committee or the United States Olympic
   1-21  Committee; or
   1-22              (4)  the words "Olympic," "Olympiad,"  or "Citius
   1-23  Altius Fortius" or a combination or simulation of those words that
   1-24  tends to cause confusion or mistake, to deceive, or to suggest
    2-1  falsely a connection with the United States Olympic Committee or an
    2-2  Olympic activity.
    2-3        (b)  On violation of Subsection (a), the United States
    2-4  Olympic Committee is entitled to the remedies available to a
    2-5  registrant on infringement of a mark registered under this chapter.
    2-6        SECTION 2.  (a) The change in law made by this Act applies
    2-7  only to a violation of Section 16.30, Business & Commerce Code, as
    2-8  added by this Act, committed on or after the effective date of this
    2-9  Act.  For purposes of this section, a violation is committed before
   2-10  the effective date of this Act if any element of the violation
   2-11  occurs before that date.
   2-12        (b)  A violation committed before the effective date of this
   2-13  Act is covered by the law in effect when the violation was
   2-14  committed, and the former law is continued in effect for that
   2-15  purpose.
   2-16        SECTION 3.  This Act takes effect September 1, 1995.
   2-17        SECTION 4.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-18  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-19  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-20  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-21  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.