"On your marks—get set—go!" At the sound of the starting gun, athletes dash out from the starting line. On the commercial track of sports, however, a group of little-known "referees" quietly safeguard fairness and order. They are not black-robed officials, but intellectual property systems including patents, trademarks and copyrights. The theme of World Intellectual Property Day 2026 — IP and Sport: On Your Marks, Get Set, Innovate! — exactly shines a spotlight on this "rule competition" beyond the playing field.

The Olympic symbol, the five interlocking rings, is a globally recognized sports icon. What you may not know is that the Olympic Rings carry not only symbolic meaning but also strict legal protection.

The Regulations on the Protection of Olympic Symbols revised in 2018 clearly stipulates that no one may use Olympic symbols for commercial purposes without the permission of the right holder. Violators will face severe consequences including confiscation of infringing goods, fines and even criminal liability. During the Beijing Winter Olympics, market regulators investigated multiple cases of unauthorized use of the Bing Dwen Dwen image and fraudulent commercial promotion with Olympic symbols. For the general public, non-commercial acts such as daily photography and copying mascots do not constitute infringement.

Beyond professional events, awareness of intellectual property protection in grassroots sports is awakening. After "Village BA" in Taijiang County, Guizhou Province gained huge popularity, the local government promptly filed a series of trademark applications and copyright registrations for Village BA, and established a rapid IP rights protection center for complaints and reports. In 2025, Guizhou issued its first Village BA data intellectual property registration certificate, covering data sets such as teams, players and video traffic. Village BA has evolved from a pure grassroots event into a "valued IP" protected by law.

The progress of sports lies not only in athletes’ physical breakthroughs, but also in the iteration of equipment technology. From sharkskin swimsuits to carbon-fiber running shoes, from smart sports bracelets to AI-assisted training systems, every disruptive technology is supported by one or even hundreds of patents.

Nike, a sports equipment giant, has continuously laid out patents for wearable sports devices, monitoring athletes’ posture and sports data in real time through sensors. Smart wearable technology integrates flexible sensors into sportswear to record key indicators such as heart rate and acceleration. These technologies turn "scientific training" from a slogan into reality, enabling enterprises to gain unique advantages in fierce market competition through patent barriers.

As the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) points out, patents not only protect innovators’ efforts but also provide a foundation for subsequent innovators by disclosing technical details. An effective intellectual property system ultimately benefits the whole society — more advanced equipment, more scientific training methods and a safer sports environment are all contributions of the patent system to sports.

The value of sports brands is largely embodied in their trademarks, which is why major sports brands spare no effort in trademark rights protection.

In early 2026, fitness technology company Keep won trademark infringement cases against three apparel enterprises. The court recognized "Keep" as a well-known trademark and ruled that the defendants’ use of the "KEEPONGOING" mark on clothing constituted infringement, ordering compensation of 500,000 yuan. Breaking the single standard of traditional physical goods, the court comprehensively evaluated digital indicators such as the scale and activity of Keep’s App users, setting a benchmark for cross-class protection of Internet brands.

There are numerous similar cases. Adidas has continuously safeguarded its "Three Stripes" trademark worldwide. Although it failed in some cases, its determination to defend the brand logo has never wavered. Renowned sports brand Puma finally won an eight-year trademark defense battle.

These cases reveal a profound fact: in the modern sports industry, the brand itself is the most valuable asset. Trademark infringement not only damages brand reputation but also undermines the fair competitive market environment.

The charm of sports lies in pushing limits; the mission of intellectual property is to protect the value brought by every breakthrough. WIPO’s theme for World Intellectual Property Day 2026 cleverly integrates the familiar starting commands of sports events, reminding us that innovation also needs to "get set" before "going".

April 26, 2026 will mark the 26th World Intellectual Property Day. On this day dedicated to intellectual property and sports, let us pay tribute to the behind-the-scenes creators, inventors and entrepreneurs. It is their wisdom and perseverance that make the world of sports more wonderful.