Controversy continues over FIFA rules, Brazilian law and the 2014 World Soccer Cup

In the latest chapter in the running battle between the International
Soccer Association (FIFA) and the Brazilian government (both of which
diplomatically deny any battle), the Brazilian Consumer Defense
Institute (“Idec”) jumped in with a letter to president Dilma Rousseff
complaining about the government’s announced intention to review its
General Law for the World Soccer Cup (“Lei Geral da Copa”). Idec claims
that the changes being proposed would gut (“tornar sem validade”) the
country’s Consumer Defense Code (“Código de Defesa do Consumidor”)
during the 2014 World Cup. The organization sent copies of its letter to
the minister of Sports, Orlando Silva, and the minister of Justice,
José Eduardo Cardozo.

There are four controversial issues. First, the question of the sale of
alcoholic beverages. FIFA has a sponsorship contract with a beer
brewery while Brazil has state laws that prohibit the sale at soccer
games. Second, as the World Cup is a FIFA event that takes place in a
sovereign state, FIFA controls the price and sale of tickets to games.
Brazil has laws guaranteeing half-price tickets to senior citizens and
students. FIFA is not interested in losing any ticket revenue. Third,
with regard to commercial rights and protection of trademarks, FIFA,
which controls rights and trademarks, wants Brazil to put more teeth
into its laws and make penalties tougher. Fourth, credentials for games
are controlled by FIFA – for journalists and authorities.

The issues are so important that president Dilma Rousseff met with the
FIFA general secretary, Jerome Valcke, in Brussels. Brazil will probably
be flexible about everything except the half-price for seniors, which
is enshrined in the country’s Senior’s Statutes(“Estatuto do Idoso”).

Idec is very upset at what it sees as a trampling on citizen rights,
such as the Soccer Fan’s Statute, state laws giving students half-price
tickets and, especially, the Consumer Defense Code. Idec says it is
worried that social progress will simply be set aside during the World
Cup.

“This is unbelievable. They are going to disregard advances made in
social benefits and ignore valid national laws because of this event, a
sports event,” said a spokesperson for Idec.

The consumer watchdog institute is also worried about a clause
(“cláusula penal”) in the General Law that allows FIFA to punish no-show
consumers who order tickets but do not pay for them for some reason.
According to Idec, first, FIFA gets exclusive ticket rights and then
they get a pass as far as Brazilian law is concerned.