GIFs are a great way to share a portion of a video that you think might be relevant. Or it could also be a way of sharing funny images, but regardless of what your intention is, it seems that the International Olympics Committee has forbade news agencies covering the games to create GIFs of sporting events.According to the rules, it says that “Olympic Material must not be broadcast on interactive services.” This is because it will “allow the viewer to make a viewing choice within a channel and thereby view Olympic Material at times and programs other than when broadcast as part of a News Program…”
The rules goes on to say, “Additionally, the use of Olympic Material transformed into graphic animated formats such as animated GIFs (i.e. GIFV), GFY, WebM, or short video formats such as Vines and others, is expressly prohibited.” According to Mashable’s interpretation, it sounds like the committee wants viewers to watch the game from the rights holder, as opposed some other website or news publication that creates GIFs of certain moments in the games.
Apparently if anyone is caught breaking the rules, they could end up facing a lawsuit, but undoubtedly many people on the internet aren’t too thrilled about.