News & Insights

Seeing your creative work printed on merchandise for a high profile tennis tournament should be a proud moment. But what happens when you never gave the organisers permission to use it?

A recent controversy at the Monte Carlo Masters is a stark reminder of why you must protect your designs.

The Monte Carlo Masters Controversy

In 2024, illustrator Yana Boyko designed a unique graphic featuring five damaged tennis rackets with the tagline, “when it’s more than just a game”. Fast forward to the Monte Carlo Masters, a prestigious tennis event, and Boyko discovered her exact illustration printed on official tournament t-shirts.

When the issue was discovered, a tournament spokesperson attributed the mistake to a third-party supplier and promised to resolve it.

For Boyko, who was on maternity leave with a five-month-old child at the time, the experience was deeply distressing. She reported sleepless nights and severe emotional strain upon discovering her work had been taken without credit.

This situation highlights a crucial point: organisations have a strict responsibility to respect intellectual property. Brands and event organisers must thoroughly vet their suppliers to ensure all merchandise clears standard copyright, trade mark and design checks. Ignorance of a supplier’s actions does not erase the harm caused to the original artist, or necessarily absolve you of responsibility for it.

Why You Need IP Protection

Unauthorised use of your designs can strip you of creative control and financial rewards. While some rights like copyright exist automatically upon creation, enforcing them without a clear record of ownership can be difficult. Understanding your IP rights and documenting your creative works allows you to act quickly to stop unauthorised sales and demand compensation.

Protection can involve keeping records of your creative process, using watermarks and visible signatures and/or copyright notices (the © symbol, your name, and the year) when sharing your work and (if possible) registering your works as designs or trade marks.

If a brand uses your work without permission, don’t panic. Gather your evidence, take screenshots of the offending products, and seek professional guidance.

If you would like to discuss any of the above further, please contact one of our Intellectual Property experts today.

This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal or professional advice. Please note that the law may have changed since this article was published.