I am watching the Opening Ceremonies to the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics when I spot the above commercial by Proctor & Gamble. Sure, the commercial presents a touching tribute to the moms of Olympians, but what really caught my attention was a citation to 36 USC 220506 in the closing frame of the advertisement. Of course, being the curious sort, I had to immediately look up the language of the code. Title 36 of the United States Code governs Patriotic Societies and Observances. With that hint, you can probably guess that 36 USC § 220506 pertains to the United States Olympic Committee. Here’s the relevant portion of 36 USC § 220506(b):
The [United States Olympic Committee] may authorize contributors and suppliers of goods or services to use the trade name of the corporation or any trademark, symbol, insignia, or emblem of the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, the Pan-American Sports Organization, or of the corporation to advertise that the contributions, goods, or services were donated or supplied to, or approved, selected, or used by, the corporation, the United States Olympic team, the Paralympic team, the Pan-American team, or team members.