World IP Day 2026 Highlights Intellectual Property Challenges and Innovations in Sports Industry

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) commemorates April 26, 1970, the date its founding convention took effect, with an annual World IP Day to highlight intellectual property’s role in fostering innovation and creativity worldwide. For 2026, WIPO selected the theme “IP and Sports Ready, Set, Innovate” to recognize the increasingly intricate relationship between intellectual property rights and the global sports industry, which spans fashion, entertainment, media, health, gaming, and consumer goods.

WIPO emphasizes that intellectual property—encompassing patents, designs, trademarks, and copyrights—drives innovation and cross-industry collaboration within sports, fueling creativity, technological progress, and economic growth. The organization notes that modern athletes and players are more IP savvy, strategically managing their rights by segmenting what was once a single bundle of IP into multiple components to maximize value. This trend is exemplified by NFL Draft prospect Fernando Mendoza, who filed a dozen trademark applications with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) covering variations of his name and catchphrases.

Frank Cullen, Executive Director of the Council for Innovation Promotion (C4IP), highlighted intellectual property’s centrality to the modern sports ecosystem, stating that IP underpins the industry’s economic value, innovation capacity, and global reach. Cullen pointed to the protection of team logos, league branding, broadcast rights, athlete likenesses, proprietary data, and emerging technologies like performance analytics as critical to maintaining sports’ commercial viability and cultural impact.

Broadcast agreements generate massive revenues that enable leagues to attract elite athletes, develop state-of-the-art facilities, and build fan loyalty. Trademarks help teams safeguard their brands and combat counterfeit merchandise, a persistent problem in the global sports market. Cullen advocated for stronger enforcement mechanisms, including legislative measures like the SHOP SAFE Act, to protect consumers and legitimate businesses from illicit goods.

Beyond trademarks and patents, Cullen underscored the importance of copyright frameworks in securing digital media assets such as game broadcasts and highlight reels, which are vital to fan engagement. He also raised concerns about unauthorized use of athlete personas, a growing issue exacerbated by generative artificial intelligence (AI). Cullen called for new protective legislation, such as the NO FAKES Act, to address these emerging threats.

USPTO Director John Squires described NFL Draft week as a pivotal moment where collegiate athletes’ personal brand identities increasingly acquire business asset qualities. Marking a first for the agency, the USPTO deployed an educational booth at the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, providing resources on trademarks and name, image, and likeness (NIL) rights. On April 24, Squires hosted a World IP Day discussion titled “Authenticity: The Name of the Game,” focusing on personal branding, IP rights, and the rising threat of AI-generated impersonations during a period when athletes’ identities are both valuable and vulnerable.

The USPTO noted that expanded NIL regulations have created new commercial opportunities for athletes at all levels to establish businesses, secure sponsorships, and monetize their personal brands. However, this environment has also seen increased malicious activity, with unauthorized actors exploiting AI tools to impersonate athletes without consent. To further address these challenges, the American Intellectual Property Law Association (AIPLA) and other organizations are convening a World IP Day event at the U.S. Capitol on April 29, 2026.

Keith Kupferschmid, CEO of the Copyright Alliance, emphasized copyright’s vital role in the sports ecosystem, protecting creative works such as broadcasts, commentary, photography, and storytelling that capture iconic moments. He remarked, “Behind every thrilling goal, buzzer-beater, or championship celebration is creativity worth protecting, and copyright helps ensure those unforgettable moments can be produced, shared, and enjoyed by audiences around the globe.”

Ann Chaplin, Executive Vice President, General Counsel, and Corporate Secretary at Qualcomm, highlighted how mobile telephony and video streaming technologies have revolutionized sports accessibility. She cited innovations like drones transmitting live 5G cellular network feeds from above football and tennis matches, enhancing the viewer experience to feel as if they are on the sidelines or even in the game.

Chaplin also discussed the impact of these technologies on in-stadium experiences, where private 5G networks enable tens of thousands of fans to access content simultaneously. She noted that Formula One racing generates terabytes of data used by teams to make strategic decisions, illustrating how data analytics intensify competition.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) initiated litigation against DraftKings in March 2026 in the Southern District of Indiana, alleging unauthorized use of its well-known tournament trademarks—including March Madness, Final Four, Elite Eight, and Sweet Sixteen—to promote DraftKings’ betting platform. The complaint asserts trademark infringement under Section 32 of the Lanham Act, false association and unfair competition under Section 43(a), and trademark dilution under Section 43(c). DraftKings allegedly incorporated these marks into betting menus, app interfaces, and marketing materials, also using confusingly similar terms like “March Mania.” The court denied the NCAA’s request for a temporary restraining order on March 26, 2026. The NCAA is pursuing an expedited trial, permanent injunctions, and monetary damages.

In another trademark dispute, Total90, LLC, founded by a soccer coach, filed suit against Nike after registering the TOTAL90 trademark following Nike’s failure to maintain its registration. In November 2025, a federal judge in the Eastern District of Louisiana denied Total90’s request for a temporary restraining order. Nike subsequently countersued, alleging bad faith and extortion.

On the patent front, JOOLA Pickleball filed infringement suits against 11 paddle companies in April 2026. The complaints, filed with the International Trade Commission (ITC) on April 7 and in federal district courts on April 9, allege unauthorized copying of JOOLA’s patented “Propulsion Core” technology. JOOLA seeks to block imports of infringing paddles and obtain damages, underscoring patent protection’s reach into emerging recreational sports markets.

Highlighting athlete branding, Fernando Mendoza, the presumptive number-one overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft, submitted a dozen new trademark applications to the USPTO on April 16, 2026. These filings cover multiple variations of his name and catchphrases, including “Mendoza 15,” “Fernando,” “Flippin’,” and “HE15Mendoza.” Mendoza was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders on April 23, 2026, further elevating his public profile and the importance of securing robust IP protections.

World IP Day 2026 thus casts a spotlight on the evolving intellectual property landscape in sports, where innovation, branding, technology, and enforcement intersect amid rapid industry growth and new challenges.