World Intellectual Property Day is celebrated on April 26 of each year. The theme chosen by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) this year is “Aspire to gold: IP and sport”, emphasizing the relationship between sport and intellectual property rights, including trademarks, advertising signs, invention patents, copyrights, related rights, image rights, among others.
The promotion of innovation and creativity, through the protection of intellectual property, is undoubtedly a determining factor to boost the competitiveness of a country. So that in addition to supporting the athlete or athlete in the development of their discipline, it is necessary to create and support initiatives to protect property rights that occur in their environment and take advantage of licensing strategies for this type of rights to generate business.
Technology is a link between sport and intellectual property, which is crucial to generate economic benefits, for example, through the creation of software or mobile applications related to sports and through the licensing of broadcasting rights, including television, cable, digital platforms, etc., making sporting events reach a greater number of people. In Guatemala we had the experience with the last FIFA World Cup Russia 2018, in which for the first time the matches were available on different platforms.
Sport is a global issue, capable of boosting international trade and improving the reputation of a country, so that searching for the mechanisms and strategies to generate business and investment in its environment, merits research and implementation of the actors involved in the subject, since the options offered by intellectual property have already produced success stories at the international level.