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Companies in South Africa have been warned against ‘ambush marketing’ around the World Cup draw next month and during the tournament itself.

The City of Cape Town says it will be “business as usual” when the draw takes place on December 4 but has reminded brands not to infringe the intellectual property rights of Fifa’s sponsors, partners and affiliates of the tournament.

Cape Town is obliged to implement Fifa’s Rights Protection Programme during the draw and the city’s director of communications Peter Cronje told community radio station Bush Radio that sponsors are a vital part of the World Cup.

“They therefore need to be given fair exposure and be protected against exploitation,” he said.

“Rights holders pay large sums of money to be able to use the event for marketing purposes, so it is logical that non-rights holders who attempt ‘ambush marketing’ should be prevented from doing so.

“For the City of Cape Town, it’s business as usual [during the draw] but the 2010 by-law will ensure that the rights of sponsors are carefully protected in the so-called exclusion zones.”