‘Insensitive’ Japan Olympic Coronavirus Logo Pulled After Row

AFP / Kazuhiro NOGI Tokyo 2020 claimed the image infringed its copyright

He said it was also an infringement of the copyright owned by Tokyo 2020, and revealed that top Olympic bosses had requested that the FCCJ remove the image.

“I also have to say this is insensitive to many people being affected by this damaging and painful situation,” said Takaya.

“It is especially insensitive to athletes who are willing to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Games next year and working very hard every day for next year’s Games.”

Although the circulation of the magazine is tiny, this is not the first time Tokyo 2020 has become embroiled in a dispute over its logo.

It was forced to scrap its original emblem after claims of plagiarism from a Belgian designer, who said it was “virtually identical” to his logo for a theatre in Liege, eastern Belgium.

Tokyo 2020 organisers are facing the giant task of reorganising the Olympics for next year after IOC president Thomas Bach and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe decided to postpone the Games by a year.

The postponement, announced on March 24, coincided with the beginning of a spike in coronavirus cases in Tokyo and throughout Japan.

After several weeks under a state of emergency during which residents have been urged to stay at home, Tokyo is now seeing only a handful of new coronavirus cases per day.