Just as fans need to be protected against terrorists and criminals, World Cup sponsors must be protected from those trying to use the world's greatest sporting tournament for commercial gain without ponying up.

An excerpt from the BBC story:

Dutch fans were forced to surrender trousers and other branded items

The streets around Stuttgart's Schlossplatz are filled with colour ahead of the clash between Spain and Tunisia - some fans dressed in the red and yellow of Spain, others in Tunisia's red and white.

But what stadium officials are looking at is not which team people are supporting - but what company made their shirt.

Up to 1,000 Dutch fans watched their side play Ivory Coast in their underpants on Friday after they were denied entry to Stuttgart's stadium for wearing orange trousers with the name of a Dutch brewery which was not an official sponsor.

Faced with missing the game or ditching their orange lederhosen - given away by the brewery - they made the obvious choice.

Fifa officials said the trousers were an attempt at so-called ambush marketing - where a company tries to gain free publicity - and that they had to act to protect the interests of sponsors.