Johannesburg - The 2010 World Cup may leave municipalities a legacy of thousands of court cases, a lawyer warned on Friday.
Stringent rules regarding FIFA marketing regulations were resulting in small businessmen being taken to court, warned Matthew Murphy, of the law firm Bowman Gilfillan.
"They will have to run criminal cases against ratepayers," said Murphy.
He said German courts were still dealing with "thousands" of cases related to the 2006 World Cup.
Murphy was speaking at the launch of the Image Rights Society in Johannesburg.
The society is bringing together businessmen and football players who are concerned about how FIFA regulations will impede their ability to market themselves and earn a living.