IP & Sports: From Team Logos to Broadcast Rights
By: Amer Al-Nasser/ AGIP Nordic
Imagine a sports fan wearing a team shirt, streaming a sporting match online, and sharing a highlight with friends. It feels like a single sporting experience, but behind that experience sits numerous types of IP rights, often owned and licensed by different parties. Understanding how those rights fit together is essential for anyone looking to protect, license, or monetize a sporting event.
The Name/Logo on the Shirt
Team names, crests, and competition logos can all function as trademarks. They help fans recognize official goods and give clubs and event organizers a way to license shirts, scarves, and other merchandise. For many clubs and competitions, these trademarks are therefore valuable commercial assets, generating revenue far beyond ticket sales.
The Technology on the Field
Modern sports equipment often incorporates technology aimed at improving performance, safety, and comfort. Running shoes may feature advanced cushioning technology, while helmets, balls, and other equipment can incorporate innovations in materials, aerodynamics, impact protection, and sensor technology. Different forms of IP protect different elements of the same product. Patents can protect technical innovations, industrial design rights can protect its appearance, and trademarks can protect the name or branding under which it is sold. These rights are distinct and may be owned or licensed by different parties.
The Match on the Screen
When it comes to sporting events, the filmed match itself can involve copyright and broadcasters' related rights. Event organizers also control who may film at a venue and license coverage to television and/or streaming companies. Those agreements may divide coverage by territory, platform, and format. Permission to broadcast a match live does not necessarily include permission to post highlights or a full replay later on other platforms.
A Combination of IP rights
When it comes to sporting events, IP protection cannot be applied uniformly, as each aspect of the event involves a different type of protection, and often several types at once. Sporting events bring together trademarks, licensing, patents, designs, copyright, broadcasting rights, and contracts to turn a live event into merchandise and media. Knowing which right covers which asset is the starting point for protecting and monetizing sporting events effectively.
AGIP has represented and protected IP rights in sports for some of the largest sporting organizations in the world.
For advice on IP in sports, visit AGIP.com.