DENMARK Law and Practice Contributed by: Frederik Bruhn, Rasmus Theis Madsen, Robert Jønsson and Tim Krarup Nielsen, HortenDahl Law Firm
similar restriction as adopted by the Premier League in England. Notable Cases Betting-related suspensions in Danish football are rel - atively rare. However, in 2013, a Danish football player was suspended for 12 months and fined for betting on his own matches. In 2016, a Danish football coach was suspended for six months and fined after it was established that, while serving as head coach of a Danish league club, he had placed bets on matches in the competition in which his own club participated. 1.4 Disciplinary Framework Disciplinary Proceedings in Danish Sports Sports governing bodies in Denmark enforce disci - plinary regulations covering anti-doping, betting and other integrity-related offences, as well as on-field misconduct. Athletes and other relevant individuals provide their contractual agreement to these regula - tions as a condition of participation in their respective sports. Each sports federation under DIF must establish a disciplinary committee to handle breaches of its reg - ulations. In football, this body is known as the DBU Disciplinary Body, and handles cases where there is a possible violation of the football regulations. It also handles protests from clubs regarding cards awarded or other matters based on the football regulations. Decisions from these committees can be appealed to DIF’s Board of Appeal, which serves as the highest judicial authority within DIF-governed sports. In addition, DIF has established specialised tribunals for cases concerning match-fixing, doping and exclu - sion from sports, which may also be appealed to DIF’s Board of Appeal. Interaction With Ordinary Courts Although sports governing bodies aim to resolve dis - putes internally, certain cases may also be subject to review by the ordinary courts if the matter is consid - ered severe and, as such, is also subject to general law in Denmark. A notable example occurred in 2019 when a Danish ice hockey player was suspended for 17 games by the Danish Ice Hockey Union’s Discipli -
nary Committee for violent conduct during a match. Due to the severity of the incident, a criminal com - plaint was also submitted in this matter, and the player received a 20-day (suspended) prison sentence from
the ordinary courts for violence. International Sports Regulation
Danish football is also subject to UEFA’s regulatory framework, as outlined in Article 32 of UEFA’s stat - utes. UEFA’s dispute resolution system includes the Club Financial Control Body, which enforces financial regulations for clubs participating in European com - petitions. Sanctions for financial breaches can include fines, warnings or exclusion from UEFA tournaments. At the international level, CAS serves as the ultimate arbitral tribunal for sports-related disputes. It handles both civil and disciplinary cases, including appeals against sanctions imposed by sports governing bod - ies. Various commercial rights apply within the Danish sports industry, including regarding merchandising, ticket sales and hospitality packages. Merchandising Rights-holders, such as sports teams and federations, seek to capitalise on their brand equity through the sale of branded merchandise. Typically, these rights are commercialised via licensing agreements, allow - ing licensees or sub-licensees to design, manufac - ture and sell products incorporating the rights-holder’s intellectual property. In exchange, the rights-holder receives licensing fees and royalties based on sales. Trade mark law, the Danish Marketing Practices Act and contractual enforcement play a key role in pre - venting the unauthorised use of team logos, player likenesses and counterfeit merchandise. The value and enforceability of merchandising rights have been confirmed through various cases in Den - mark, such as the so-called Leo Vegas case, where the High Court found that the unauthorised commer - cial use of red and white jerseys resembling the Dan - 2. Commercial Rights 2.1 Sports-Related Rights
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