POLAND Law and Practice Contributed by: Łukasz Klimczyk, Maciej Skrzypek, Beata Danel-Skrzypek and Piotr Klepuszewski, SLK Partners
3. Sports Events 3.1 Proprietary Rights and Event Management
supplemented by statutory obligations governing the organisation of sporting events. The main legal framework includes the Civil Code and the Act on the Safety of Mass Events of 20 March 2009, which imposes detailed organisational and security requirements on organisers, including risk assessments, access control measures and co-oper - ation with public authorities. Consumer protection leg - islation also applies, particularly in relation to ticket sales and information duties. Organisers may limit liability towards spectators through event regulations incorporated into ticket terms and conditions. Such limitations typically cov - er minor property damage or events caused by force majeure. However, they must comply with consumer protection law and cannot exclude liability for inten - tional misconduct, gross negligence or breaches of statutory safety obligations. Athletes may incur civil liability towards spectators under general tort law where their conduct exceeds the normal risks inherent in sport. In practice, such liability is rare, as spectators are generally considered to accept the ordinary risks associated with sporting competitions. Safety obligations are primarily regulated by the Act on the Safety of Mass Events, which requires organis - ers to implement security plans, control venue access, provide security services and co-operate with pub - lic authorities. Sports federations may additionally impose disciplinary sanctions for misconduct under their internal regulations.
Under Polish law, there is no single statutory propri - etary right in a sporting event as such. An exception concerns the exclusive right of a Polish national sports federation to organise competitions for the titles of “Polish Champion” and winner of the “Polish Cup”, as provided for in the Polish Sports Act. This right applies only in sports disciplines governed by an officially rec - ognised national federation. The right to organise sporting events may arise from different sources. Some events are organised under the authority of national federations, while others are promoted commercially by private entities, particularly in disciplines where no national federation operates. In practice, organisers secure commercial control over events through contractual arrangements, intellectual property rights (such as trade marks and event brand - ing), venue access rights, and federation or licensing regulations. Access to events is typically regulated through ticketing conditions, accreditation systems and event regulations, which often restrict unauthor - ised recording or commercial use of audiovisual mate - rial. The organisation of sporting events is also subject to statutory requirements, notably the Act on the Safety of Mass Events of 20 March 2009, which imposes security and organisational obligations on event organisers. Consumer protection rules apply to ticket sales, while personal data processing in connection with ticketing and access systems must comply with the GDPR. Participation in competitions is governed primarily by federation rules and competition regulations, which determine eligibility, disciplinary measures and dis - pute resolution mechanisms. 3.2 Duty of Care and Liability In Poland, sports event organisers owe a general duty of care towards participants and spectators based on civil law principles of contractual and tort liability,
4. Corporate Structures 4.1 Legal Forms of Sporting Bodies
Under the Polish Sports Act, sports activity is con - ducted primarily through sports clubs, which are required to operate as legal entities. Sports clubs In disciplines where no professional league exists, sports clubs most commonly operate in the form of associations. Sports clubs may also function under
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