A non-profit organization in British Columbia that provides assistance to individuals with spinal cord injuries had to call off a raffle for two World Cup tickets following a cease-and-desist letter from FIFA’s legal team. The letter, spanning nine pages, accused the organization of violating trademark laws and ticket regulations.
Chris McBride, the executive director of Spinal Cord Injury B.C., mentioned that a team member procured two tickets for the June 21 match between New Zealand and Egypt at B.C. Place in Vancouver through regular means, each valued at approximately $500. McBride expressed that the raffle was intended to raise funds and provide an affordable ticketing option for their supporters.
After amassing around $2,300 in raffle sales, the organization received the letter from Lipkus Law, a Toronto-based firm representing FIFA, highlighting the infringement of trademark rules and ticketing policies. Consequently, the raffle was halted, and refunds were issued to ticket purchasers.
FIFA emphasized that tickets are granted as revocable licenses and cannot be utilized for promotional activities like raffles without explicit consent. The organization aims to maintain ticket integrity, secure distribution channels, and protect commercial rights linked to the World Cup.
McBride noted that the cancellation of the raffle, initially reported by the Breaker news platform, garnered significant community support and donations. He mentioned the community’s discontent with FIFA and their backing of his organization, highlighting FIFA’s resource extraction from host communities without substantial give-back initiatives.
While acknowledging the charitable contributions made by organizations globally, FIFA mentioned its involvement in charitable initiatives related to the tournament. The two tickets originally intended for the raffle have been listed for resale on an official platform, with McBride mentioning that the organization may not recoup all expenses but will not face significant losses.