Celebrating World IP Day: thoughts from our Editorial Board

Published April 24, 2026

As World Intellectual Property Day approaches on 26 April 2026, we asked our Editorial Board for their thoughts on this year’s theme: IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate.

Providing unique insight from their respective jurisdictions, our Editorial Board members reflect on the vital role that IP plays in protecting and promoting the inventions, designs, brands, and stories that drive the world of sports, inspire athletes, and unite fans everywhere. Find out more about World IP Day here.

“Sports data used to primarily mean athlete performance results, such as a race time or number of goals. In one of the booming new frontiers of data and IP, the focus has shifted over the past few decades to intensive technology analysis of every aspect of the athlete and their performance. Wearable sensors and video analysis have become the norm. Athletes use this data to optimize training and athletic performance. It also informs their tactical strategy. Data allows coaches to more objectively assess athletes.

“Much IP is being generated around devices for the collection of data. As an example, the early days of IP in the wearables area brought us patent infringement cases between Fitbit and Jawbone over fitness trackers. Then came a patent case between Phillips and Fitbit (now owned by Google). Apple and Mosimo recently tangled in court over pulse oximetry technology in smartwatches. The IP cases will continue because companies developing sports data and IP are as competitive as the athletes.

“AI has only juiced this technology development, and many new patent applications relate to wearable devices applying AI to assess sports performance. We will all benefit because there is a trickle-down of this sport IP to those of us doing our usual daily activities. Here’s to IP in sport – and to your health!”

Noel Courage, Principal, Smart & Biggar

“World IP Day 2026 offers a timely moment to spotlight a distinctly American development reshaping the sports IP landscape: the rise of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) rights for collegiate athletes. Fittingly, this year’s celebration arrives just days after the 2026 NFL Draft, being held right here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, proud host city and home of the Steelers, where the next generation of professional athletes will take the field, many having already built substantial personal brands under the current NIL framework that has transformed collegiate sports since 2021. This NCAA policy, reinforced by evolving state laws and federal jurisprudence, has enabled college athletes to monetize assets at the intersection of trademark law, right of publicity, and personal branding, while generating hundreds of millions of dollars annually through licensing, endorsement, and sponsorship structures. Indeed, the USPTO’s first-ever on-the-ground educational presence at this week’s NFL Draft underscores just how consequential this intersection has become. For IP practitioners, NIL is not merely a sports story; it is also a live laboratory for understanding how identity-based rights interact with brand development and fan engagement. In the United States, as this draft cycle so vividly illustrates, the IP journey now begins long before draft day.”

Mark G. Bloom, D.Jur., CLP®, RTTP™ | AI Transforms Today, LLC | United States

“World IP Day 2026’s theme, “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate,” is timely as the UK prepares for another exciting summer of sport. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the crucial role IP plays in driving sporting excellence and commercial success.

“Patents have supported sporting innovation in the UK for over 150 years. In 1874, Major Walter Clopton Wingfield patented the first portable lawn tennis court, helping establish modern tennis and a legacy that continues at Wimbledon today.

“Innovation has accelerated in recent decades, with digital technologies and AI transforming performance, training, and recovery. Patented wearables, sensors, and data analytics enable athletes to improve performance and reduce injury risk. Building on the momentum of major events such as the 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, organizations including UK Sport and Sport England promote innovation initiatives to broaden participation and enhance achievement. The UK Sports Institute’s Performance and Innovation team works closely with elite sport to help leverage technological advancements to support the development of future British champions.

“For sporting brands, patents protect R&D investment in footwear, apparel, and equipment, generating value through sales and licensing.

“Patented technologies have also reshaped the fan experience, from VAR and ball‑tracking to broadcast innovation. A VAR dispute in the early days of the Unified Patent Court underscores the value that innovators place on patent protection and the strategic importance of enforcement fora for rights holders active in the European market.

“As World IP Day 2026 highlights, patents remain essential to driving progress and ensuring the continued evolution of sport.”