Julie Benson, the founder of the planned show, who has been working on it for 13 years, said too much effort and investment has been made to back out now.
Yesterday Event reported how London 2012 organiser for a trademark.
"The outcome of this challenge we face with Locog does put into question our ability to go about our business so after 12 years of working tirelessly to make this happen, we will not be bullied nor relent in our quest to celebrate Britain next year," said Benson.
Locog defended its position, saying it had not backed down, and that its initial objection to the Great Exhibition was all part of a standard process.
"Locog has not ‘backed down’ over this. Our discussions with regard to this project were to ascertain whether it was a commercial venture, directly linked to London 2012 or not," said a London 2012 spokesperson.
"We have been assured it is not, therefore no further discussions are required. Our aim is always to be pragmatic and proportionate and focus on genuine attempts to ambush London 2012."
Lawyers watching Locog’s action closely have told Event that they are surprised the organiser is being so Draconian in is objection to the use of ‘2012’.
"The recent press around Locog objecting to the use of the word "2012" by The Great Exhibition 2012 illustrates how tightly protected the London 2012 and Olympics brand will be," said Charles Russell Sports & Media Group solicitor Jonathan Walters.
"Having secured the Olympics on the promise that the brand would receive extensive legal protection, we have seen the introduction of legislation which is unparalleled in its scope and attack on so-called "ambush marketing" activity. Unfortunately, from a legal perspective, the Act is worded so widely that it threatens to restrict much more than the legitimate aim of stopping brands who have not paid for sponsorship rights gaining exposure by piggy-backing on London 2012.
"Locog has reserved the right to associate with the Games for itself and its partners. This means that companies who quite properly seek to exploit interest in the Games and London itself may find themselves in breach of the law and, potentially, subject to criminal sanctions. It had been hoped that a proportionate approach would be taken to enforcing the laws, but if reports about the action against The Great Exhibition 2012 are correct, businesses will need to take great care in their marketing activity around the Olympics or face the wrath of Locog."
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