Copyright Challenges Disrupt Figure Skating Music Choices at Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano-Cortina featured numerous headline-making moments, including a notable intellectual property dispute involving figure skating routines. Spanish skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate attracted attention not only for his Minions-inspired costume—yellow T-shirt and blue overalls evoking the Despicable Me franchise—but also for copyright clearance issues surrounding the “Universal Fanfare” track he intended to use.

Sabate was not alone in facing such challenges. Several other figure skaters at the Games encountered copyright hurdles that affected their preferred music selections for competition routines.

Figure skating competitions consist of two programs: a short program and a free skate. Both are choreographed and synchronized to music chosen by the skater or team, sometimes combining cuts from different artists or medleys. These musical choices must comply with technical and structural requirements set by the International Skating Union (ISU), the sport’s global governing body.

Historically, the ISU restricted skaters to instrumental music or vocal music without lyrics, encouraging the use of traditional, often public domain, compositions. This minimized copyright clearance issues. However, in 2014, the ISU modernized its rules to allow music with lyrics, prompting skaters to select contemporary songs still under copyright protection.

This shift introduced new legal complexities. Skaters needed to obtain permission from rights holders not only for performing the music during competitions but also for broadcasting and online distribution. Failure to secure such licenses exposed skaters and broadcasters to potential copyright infringement claims.

To address these risks, the ISU recommends using ClicknClear, a third-party platform that assists skaters in verifying licensing availability and obtaining necessary permissions. Nonetheless, the platform cannot guarantee licenses, as record labels and publishers retain sole discretion over approvals and fees.

It remains unclear whether all skaters at Milano-Cortina utilized ClicknClear. However, several, including Sabate, faced last-minute copyright obstacles impacting their music choices.

Sabate, a six-time Spanish national champion making his Olympic debut, had planned to perform his Minions-themed routine, which had gained popularity during the 2025-26 season and at the 2026 European Figure Skating Championships in Sheffield. He claimed to have submitted a request via ClicknClear in August 2025 to use “Universal Fanfare” by The Minions.

Days before the men’s event, the ISU informed Sabate that he lacked copyright clearance from the franchise’s rights holders, forcing him to scramble for alternative music on the eve of competition. His public appeal on social media sparked widespread support under the hashtag #lettheminionskate.

Following negotiations, Universal Studios granted the necessary approvals. This breakthrough enabled Sabate to secure licenses for all four pieces of music he intended to use, including those involving Pharrell Williams, the singer of one of his chosen songs.

Another example involved a Canadian pairs figure skating duo, who previously competed for France in the 2018 Winter Olympics and switched to represent Canada in 2020. They had planned a 1990s-themed rhythm dance featuring two Prince songs, “Thunder” and “Cream.” Late in 2025, they were informed that clearance for “Thunder” would not be granted for the Olympics, despite having performed to it earlier in the season.

After exploring alternatives, the pair replaced “Thunder” with “Sex Bomb” by Tom Jones, for which copyright clearance was available, while retaining “Cream.”

These incidents underscore the evolving intellectual property landscape in figure skating, where the ISU’s relaxed music rules have increased the importance of securing proper licenses. Skaters, coaches, and broadcasters must navigate complex rights issues to avoid infringement claims and ensure smooth competition performances.

The Milano-Cortina Games thus highlighted the critical need for early and thorough copyright clearance processes, especially at high-profile international sporting events where music use is integral to athlete expression and audience engagement.

For broader legal insights into the challenges at the 2026 Winter Olympics, see Henry Goldschmidt’s analysis in Sports Shorts: "High stakes: Traversing the legal terrain of Milano Cortina 2026™."