Ian S. Blackshaw – författare

It is a pleasure to write this Foreword to the second, expanded edition of Ian Blackshaw’s well-respected book on the extra-judicial settlement of sports disputes through mediation and arbitration. Prof Blackshaw is a master of his subject who explains in clear and straightforward terms the various forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR) methods available for dealing with a wide range of different kinds of sports disputes, which are on the increase, not least because of the huge sums of money that are nowadays at stake in sport at the elite level. As I have written elsewhere, “[t]he unique investment of competitive egos, emotions, expec- tions, and money in international sports almost guarantees a dividend of highly charged disputes…. . [and] [t]he structure for resolving them is complex. ” Dispute resolution, is one of the most critical issues which overshadow the sports arena. As Prof Blackshaw rightly points out however, ADR is “not a panacea” for settling all kinds of sports disputes, and so the role of the courts must not be underestimated. This is true in both Europe and the United States of America, where I practice and teach international sports law. The expanded version of this book includes a more in-depth study of the functions and role of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), based in Lausanne, Switzerland, and also a review of the contribution of CAS to an emerging so-called ‘Lex Sportiva’.

Sports marketing is not only a global phenomenon, but also a major industry in its own right. This book breaks new ground in that it combines the theory and the practice of sports marketing agreements, which are at the heart of the commercialisation and marketing of sport. A particular feature of this book is the wide-ranging collection of precedents of sports marketing agreements, including, inter alia, sponsorship, merchandising, TV rights and new media, sports image rights and endorsements, event management and corporate hospitality, that are included and are explained and commented on in the text of the book. The book also covers the EU aspects, which are particularly important in this context, especially collective selling, of Sports TV rights and the drafting of the corresponding agreements; as well as the fiscal aspects of sports marketing agreements in general and sports image rights agreements in particular, which need to be taken into account in order to reduce the tax burdenon the resulting revenues. With so much money at stake in sports marketing, the book also deals with the important topic of dispute resolution and, again, provides the reader with some useful corresponding clauses for settling disputes by ADR, particularly through the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). As the author remarks in his Preface, the aim of the book is to provide a leading resource for all those engaged in any way in the money-spinning field of sports marketing, combining - as this book uniquely does - both the theory and the practice of drafting, interpreting and enforcing a variety of sports marketing agreements, especially those with an international dimension.

Gambling is a significant global industry, which is worth around 0.6% of world trade, that is, around US$ 384 billion; and gambling on the outcome of sports events is a very popular pastime for millions of people around the world, who combine a bet with watching and enjoying their favourite sports. But, like any other human activity, sports betting is open to corruption and improper influence from unscrupulous sports persons, bookmakers and others. Sports betting in the last ten years or so has developed and changed quite fundamentally with the advent of modern technology – not least the omnipresence of the Internet and the rise of on-line sports betting. This book covers the law and policy on sports betting in more than forty countries around the world whose economic and social development, history and culture are quite different. Several chapters deal with the United States of America. This book also includes a review of sports betting under European Union (EU) Law. The book appearsin the ASSER International Sports Law Series, under the editorship of Dr. Robert Siekmann, Dr. Janwillem Soek and Marco van der Harst LL.M.

Sports marketing is a global phenomenon and a major industry. This book breaks new ground in that it combines the theory and the practice of sports marketing agreements. It includes a wide-ranging collection of precedents of sports marketing agreements.

With a foreword by Prof. Dr. Steve Cornelius, International Sports Law Centre, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South AfricaThis book, written by an expert in the field, covers some of the following issues, namely high-profile WADA cases such as that of Maria Sharapova, the Bosman ruling, decisions by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), and footballers’ employment contracts and transfers for enormous amounts. These issues have led to sport no longer being confined to the back pages of traditional media such as newspapers, but increasingly finding its way onto the front pages and into new media.Since ancient times sport has been practised but today it is a multi-billion dollar ‘industry', and Sports Law as a discipline in its own right is developing apace and is increasingly being studied and practiced at all levels of interest and competency. Thereby creating a need amongst students, lawyers, accountants, sports marketers, promoters, agents, sports broadcasters, sports administrators and managers for some basic and general knowledge of the legal aspects of sport.This introductory guide to international sports law will serve to satisfy the needs currently not being met in present-day sports law literature, and should also be of interest to researchers and the general reader. Although the topics covered are necessarily selective, sports law being such a vast subject, they are representative of the main legal issues facing the world of sport today. Throughout the book, the reader is referred to articles, publications and other materials that provide further information on the various subjects treated in the text, thus enhancing its value and usefulness. The Law is stated as at 1 January 2017, according to the sources available at that date.Prof. Ian S. Blackshaw is an International Sports Lawyer, a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales, and a Visiting Professor at several Universities, including Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom, and The University of Pretoria, South Africa. He is also a member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lausanne, Switzerland.Specific to this book:•Written by an acknowledged expert in the field•Clear and concise presentation•Includes references throughout to further information and materialsExcerpt from a book review:"Prof Ian Blackshaw has provided an excellent and comprehensive overview of the core areas and intricacies of ‘sports law’, enabling the reader to understand why it is, quite rightly, a distinct doctrine of law worthy of study and research on its own merits.""It’s an excellent guide to all aspects of sports law for lawyers – and those interested in this subject matter in general."Hilary Forde,Sports solicitor and director of racing governanceand compliance at the Irish Greyhound BoardLaw Society Gazette, Dec. 2017