I think that from the ISAF there is an awful lot of bluff. They can threaten all they like, as many people and organizations as they like BUT under law there is a limit! And while no one “stands up to them” they can get away with all they like.
The ISAF surely cannot legally claim sole proprietary rights to "sailing/racing”? For one thing precedence has to come into it some where, there was a lot of sailing/racing going on long before either the IYRU or, later the ISAF came onto the scene, and for them to claim "rights" over not only names of titles but also the concept of different titles, well that is going a little bit too far. What have they assumed they have the rights too? Are they saying that they “own” all the descriptive words in all languages and also proprietary rights over all thesauruses ever written?
I feel that if they become too “pushy” some one is just going to “stand up” to them and have it all sorted out in the courts. If that happens then I feel sure that the actual rights of the ISAF in these matters will be very greatly diminished.
Besides there is a little company called “Hobie” which conducted world titles long before there was an ISAF. Hobies rights to that title (worlds) should, in any ones books take precedent over the ISAF’s. If I were the “Hobie” organization, I would be telling the ISAF that they couldn’t use the title “worlds” without Hobies permission and a suitable royalty payment for the use there of.
Just my feelings on a touchy subject Mary.