Role of IPR in Sports Law
Sport is a truly global phenomenon. The sports industry thereby unifies people, activities and business organisations which are involved in producing, facilitating or organising any sport activity or experience related to it. Sport, which was once considered as a recreational activity, has now become a commercial activity generating huge profits. Sport industry in India are getting an unimaginable mileage over others due to the commercialization and investment interest.
IPR play a pivotal role in the long-term viability and success of the sports industry in India. IPRs are vested in almost every component of the sports industry. Sports are showing IP in action and the IP in turn powers the business of sports. Significantly, in 2019, the World Intellectual Property Day was celebrated under the theme of ‘Reach for Gold: IP and Sports. The theme focusses on the world of sports. It explores how innovation, creativity and IPR that encourage and protect them support the development and worldwide enjoyment of sports. It empowers the financial model of all sporting events worldwide. IP rights are at the heart of the global sports ecosystem and all the commercial relationships that make sports happen and also allow us to tune in to sporting action. The sports economy therefore, is an instructive case study of how an IP asset becomes a platform for economic activity and related industries.
Commercialization of Sports is one of the most promising areas which have added to individual gains and also contributed to the economic growth of the country. IPRs are used as marketing tools toward the branding of games and connected events, sports clubs, teams, celebrity status which all in turn require protection to prevent any complications that may arise in future. It is the need of the hour for the Government to formulate stringent laws for enforcement of IP rights in sports. In this backdrop, the present paper discusses the importance of IPR in sport industry and also highlights different categories of intellectual property associated with sports, their protection and various ways of their exploitation.
