The XXXI Olympiad, commonly referred to as the 2016 Summer Olympics, is still one year away, with the opening ceremonies scheduled to take place in Rio de Janeiro on Aug. 5, 2016. But the event's official sponsors are already making grand plans—and brand owners who are not official sponsors had better watch out.

“The Olympics are a rare opportunity for brand owners to gain exposure to a world audience,” said Danny Awdeh, an intellectual property lawyer at Finnegan, Henderson, Farabow, Garrett & Dunner who specializes in trademark law. “But it's a treacherous road to navigate if you're not an official sponsor.”

Laws in Brazil established specifically for the Olympics, as well as the laws of other countries and rules created by the International Olympic Committee, ensure that the sponsors, who pay as much as $100 million to have their name associated with the games, get the advertising space and exposure they expect.