Morrison & Foerster, selected in October of 2002 as the international counsel to the Beijing Organizing Committee for the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG), recently assisted in the establishment of the Beijing Olympic Broadcasting Co Ltd (BOB) which will be responsible for producing the television programming that will be picked up and used by broadcasters world-wide for their broadcast of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. BOB will feed national and international TV and radio networks during the Games and be in charge of producing important side events, constructing and operating the International Broadcasting Centre and other venues, and providing other relevant broadcasting services to the rights-holding broadcasters of the Games.

Our team assisted with the structuring of this novel entity together with PRC counsel and worked with BOCOG and the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to negotiate and finalize key contracts including documents for the establishment of this joint venture between OBS and BOCOG and the master broadcasting services agreement between OBS and BOB. This is one of the key projects necessary for the successful broadcast of the Beijing 2008 Games and the 2008 Paralympics, both of which are estimated to be viewed and listened to by more than 4 billion people.

Morrison & Foerster has assisted BOCOG with a range of legal advice arising from the requirements of and preparing for and hosting the 2008 Summer Games. This has included legal counsel related to marketing, media, the protection of intellectual property, venue construction, procurement, entertainment, technology and other related matters. To learn more about our role as international legal counsel to BOCOG, please contact Kelly Crabb or Steven Toronto.

For additional information, please visit our Beijing Olympic Games Summer 2008 Legal Information Center.