Football - What was the IP Score?

• Author: Elizabeth March
• Position: WIPO Magazine Editorial Staff, Communications and Public Outreach Division

Some winners

* With projected television audiences of 32.5 billion people in 215 countries, the World Cup was a bonanza for broadcasting organizations. The International Federation of Football Association (FIFA) sold broadcasting rights worth one billion euro (US$1.3 bn) to over 500 broadcasting organizations, including television, radio, mobile telephony and Internet licensees. In Brazil alone, five TV companies signed licensing agreements. 60.5 million viewers in the region watched Brazil’s opening match; while almost a quarter of all South Korea’s TV viewers got up at 4am to watch their team play France.

* FIFA signed trademark licensing deals worth US$840 million with the tournament’s 15 official international sponsors and six national sponsors. The sponsors gained exclusive rights to use FIFA’s World Cup trademarks and emblems in publicity and marketing.

* Two technological innovations from Philips Electronics won places in the limelight -with their ArenaVision stadium lighting created the limelight. Oval-shaped floodlights, based on optical research, were designed to enhance color quality, decrease spill-light and glare, and "dramatically increase the theatrical and emotional values for TV audiences, spectators and players alike," say Philips. (- Though some of us could not have handled much more emotional value.)

* Philips’ PCT patented, radio frequency identification (RFID) technology was brought on to tackle ticket fraud. All 3.2 million tickets contained tiny electronic data-processing chips, plus an antenna to receive and broadcast radio signals, allowing contact-free scanning at venue gates.

* From the commentators’ box, WIPO’s PCT team add that 14 out of 15 of the World Cup official sponsors use the PCT to file international patent applications for their technological innovations.

* Adidas’ TeamGeist- (Team Spirit) ball was selected for the championship because of its innovative construction. It uses only 14 panels instead of the traditional 26 or 32 hexagons, with correspondingly fewer seams. Adidas claims their roundest, smoothest football ever offers players increased accuracy and...