Satirical Tokyo 2020 Logo Removed

(ATR) The Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan has withdrawn a satirical mock-up of the Tokyo 2020 logo after pressure from Tokyo Games leaders.

Tokyo 2020 organizers said the FCCJ artwork – a design combining the distinctive, spiky image of the coronavirus cell along with the blue-and-white Tokyo 2020 logo – was "insensitive" and infringed upon copyright laws.

The FCCJ mock logo, the design including COVID-19 written directly below it, was displayed on the club’s website and front page of the organization’s in-house magazine.

FCCJ president Khaldon Azhari confirmed on Thursday that the club decided to withdraw the controversial image and remove it from its website after advice that its legal defense against a potential copyright breach was "not strong".

Azhari, reading a statement from the FCCJ board of directors, expressed "sincere regret to anyone offended" and stressed the club would "continue to report the news and be the beacon for the free press activities in Japan and in Asia."

Azhari is a member of the Tokyo Olympics media commission.

Tokyo 2020 spokesman Masa Takaya tells Around the Rings "the drawing has been taken out and we think that their response was appropriate."

Takaya had raised the issue with reporters on Monday, saying the emblem was "very disappointing" in addition to being an infringement of the logo copyright owned by Tokyo 2020.

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

"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," Takaya added.

The Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan was founded in 1945 to provide infrastructure and support for foreign journalists working in Post-World War II Japan. Currently, the club offers a workroom space, a library and welcomes a steady stream of local and international speakers and panels for its members.

Written by Brian Pinelli from his home in Prague

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