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WIPO Magazine

Publisher:: World Intellectual Property Organization
Publication date:: 2009-02-13

ISBN:: 1020-7074

Issue Number

Latest documents

Intellectual property rights: driving global sports
“Everyone’s doing it”. “It does not do any harm”. These are common refrains when discussing the issue of illegal online streaming of sports content. There is a widespread perception among the general public that intellectual property (IP) infringement is a victimless crime, but this is not the case. As we look towards World Intellectual Property Day on April 26, it is important to consider the real value that IP rights bring to the sports sector and why we need to protect them effectively.
Beyond the signal: a view from China on the copyright protection of live sports programming
Over the years, television broadcasting has been the catalyst for the development of the sports economy. Indeed, as noted by Juan Antonio Samaranch, the former President of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), sports and TV are “a match made in heaven”. The Olympic Movement is a very good example of the significant economic contribution of broadcasters to the development of sports. As noted by Michael Payne, author of Olympic Turnaround, the revival of the Olympic Movement in the 1980s and its long-term financial sustainability were closely linked to television. Thanks to broadcasting, heart-quaking moments of Olympic action have translated into mass audience ratings and advertising revenue.
Intellectual property, sports and tourism: a perfect match
Sports events are becoming a major driver of economic development globally. Global management consultants, AT Kearney, have estimated that the industry is worth around USD 620 billion. That figure represents a significant portion of the USD 4.5 trillion estimated value of the tourism industry as a whole.
Ambush marketing: when sponsors cry “foul”
Ads bombard us daily – television, billboards, search engines and websites, apps, print and radio. Brands seek ways to break through this noise, to create a buzz and drive consumer demand for their products. In this pursuit, advertisers sometimes invest in sponsoring a big event, a famous individual or a team to leverage fans’ excitement to promote the sponsor’s brand. Events like the Olympic Games, the World Cup and the Super Bowl, to name a few, attract corporate sponsors that pay large sums, often in the hundreds of millions of dollars, to gain greater exposure for their brands. Sponsorships typically confer exclusive rights in a category to the sponsor, which can advertise itself as the official sponsor in that category, e.g., the official soft drink of the event.
Putting sports fans first: insights from Intel
The evolution of the fan experience within the sports industry is well under way. For the last several decades, technology has brought enhancements to the game itself, but the fan experience hasn't changed significantly. Historically, there has been one version of the game or play delivered to fans.
ASICS: creating quality lifestyle through intelligent sports technology
The well-known Japanese sports brand, ASICS, began operations in 1977, but its roots date from 1949, when a former military officer, Kihachiro Onitsuka, established Onitsuka Co. in Kobe, Japan. Mr. Onitsuka had a great passion for sports and health and, in the 1950s, he set out to provide the youth of Japan with appropriate shoes to encourage participation in sports. In the late 1970s, the company changed its name to ASICS. The name consists of the acronym of the Latin expression, Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, meaning “a sound mind in a sound body”. It is the philosophy under which the company operates, and the fundamental platform on which it still stands. ASICS’ long-standing corporate vision is to “create quality lifestyle through intelligent sport technology”.
23 Capital: creating new ways to monetize intellectual property in sports
Stephen Duval and Jason Traub, are co-founders of 23 Capital, a capital and solutions provider for the sports, music and entertainment sectors. In a recent interview with WIPO Magazine, these visionary entrepreneurs share their insights on how intellectual property (IP) rights are creating value in the rapidly evolving sports sector and talk about 23 Capital’s role in the creation and recent launch of OTRO, an innovative global digital fan club that offers fans the opportunity to connect with some of the world’s most famous football players.
Intellectual property and the specificity of sports
Over the last 40 years, I have been involved in the sports industry and have sometimes noticed sports bodies and athletes peering jealously over a fence. On the other side of that fence are the intellectual property (IP) rights afforded to literary, dramatic, musical and artistic works. Athletes have seen protection for actors, singers, musicians, dancers, and others, while performing copyrighted works, but typically, have not themselves benefitted from such protection.
The IP behind the AI boom
Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to transform our lives. But what exactly is AI, and what are the techniques and applications driving innovation in this area? James Nurton looks at insights provided by the flagship WIPO Technology Trends series which focuses on innovation trends in AI.
Elaphe: driving the development of electric vehicles
Gorazd Gotovac, Chief Technology Officer of Elaphe Propulsion Technologies, a Slovenian company based in Lubljana, talks about the company’s pioneering in-wheel motor technology and the role that innovation and intellectual property plays in its business strategy.