Inventions, literary and creative works, as well as trade symbols, names, and photos, all fall under the umbrella of intellectual property (IP).
Patents, copyrights, and trademarks, for example, safeguard IP by allowing inventors and works to be identified and profited from, just like Sloto Cash lets you profit from gambling online. There are various companies dedicated to supplying athletic items to athletes and the general public in the industry of sports. We will show you the importance of IP protection in the sports industry. First of all, we want to show you what are the benefits of technology in sports.
Benefits of using technology in sports
The application of technology is always intended to improve something and to optimize and facilitate human work. Currently, new technologies are an essential part of most professional sports. From those aimed at improving the performance of the athlete to those in charge of objectively verifying the result of the competition.
Technology is so established in professional sports and has proven to have so many benefits, that it has crossed its borders and is also being established in amateur sports. Regardless of the sports discipline, we can take advantage of new technologies to improve many of the aspects that without them are too laborious. As we say, the benefits of its use are numerous: technology always improves any field in which it is applied. We can highlight the following advantages that it provides us:
1. Technology protects the health of participants
Athletes may now reach their full potential thanks to technological advancements. We can traverse barriers that have never been crossed before thanks to a combination of sporting prowess and cutting-edge technology. Professional athletes’ abilities will continue to improve over time. Technology improves at a breakneck pace, which means that athletes will continue to improve in the coming years.
2. Technology allows fairer decisions
Every tournament has its own set of regulations, regardless of the discipline. The standards that must be completed in order for the result to be regarded authentic are outlined in these guidelines. The human eye isn’t flawless, and when weariness, a bad angle, or other variables impact it, the margin of error can be significant. Even factors that are imperceptible to the human eye, such as minute variances, can be used to determine who wins a competition and who should be disqualified.
3. Technology makes sport reach more people
When we discuss professional sports, we are also discussing entertainment. Professional sports are no longer imagined without the presence of spectators. Hobbyists play an important role in this business. An athletic event may be watched, heard, or read from anywhere in the globe thanks to technological advancements.
Sport has always benefited from disruptive innovations that make it more accessible. The written press allowed people to learn about the outcomes of events that occurred on the other side of the globe. We could hear the live narration of what was going on thanks to the radio. Finally, television allowed people to see major events unfold in real-time. With the advent of the internet, we can now watch on-demand any event that interests us, no matter how little it may be, thanks to over-the-top (OTT) services. We can follow a competition second by second on social media, whether it’s in written, video, or audio mode.
Examples of sports intellectual property
Michael Phelps, the most successful Olympian of all time, has been associated with Speedo since 2001. Speedo’s IQ Fit technology, developed by Aqualab, the Fastskin beanie and the Fastskin Super Elite and Elite goggles ensure optimum hydrodynamics. Used together, the drag force of the body can be reduced by up to 5.7%, resulting in better performance.
Russian tennis player Maria Sharapova signed a sponsorship deal with leading tennis racket manufacturer HEAD. Ms. Sharapova used the YouTek™ Instinct IG Series tennis racket that features HEAD’s innovative Innegra™ technology, a hybrid compound, to reduce ball impact vibration and allow greater control. The slim streamlined geometry of the racket head frame also increases its maneuverability, allowing for higher swing speeds.
The neon yellow Nike Zoom Victory Elite spikes, which are part of Nike’s Volt collection, designed especially for the Olympic Games, and which are used by the 10,000 and 5,000 meter champion, Mo Farah, and some 400 plus athletes weigh just 98 grams.,The Under Armour® Biometric Compression Shirt measures different aspects of performance during sports activity, such as heart rate and G-force. The data can be transmitted in real time to stadium screens.
Adidas founder Adi Dassler’s idea that “light equals fast” is encapsulated in the adizero concept. Developed in Japan, the adizero range incorporates traditional handcrafting techniques and uses high-tech, breathable fabrics. Created in collaboration with American sprinter Tyson Gay and British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, it features a 1.3mm carbon platform to minimize energy loss and permanently compressive nano-ceramic studs to optimize propulsion for greater speed.
The sports industry
The sports industry is a very broad business, ranging from the sale of food and sports memorabilia to the sale of broadcasting rights and sponsorship deals. There are many stakeholders in this industry, from clubs, leagues and sponsors to broadcasters and of course the manufacturers of the equipment that makes top-level sport possible: the sporting goods industry. According to a study by the consulting firm A.T. Kearny, the global sports industry is estimated to be worth US$620 billion.
Sporting goods companies, both large and small, spend millions of dollars each year developing new and improved products not only for the benefit of elite athletes, but also fans and people who like to wear footwears. Many of these companies also invest heavily in supporting talented young athletes in communities around the world; young people who promise to become the sports heroes of the future.
The IP system and the protection it provides are crucial in allowing sports goods companies to continue to engage in research and development of more effective and inexpensive equipment for today’s and tomorrow’s athletes.
The technology race
Advances in materials and technical techniques have improved almost every sport. Natural materials (wood, string, gut, rubber) have gradually been superseded by a wide range of extremely complex synthetic materials, such as metals and polymers, in the construction of equipment in the past.
Athletes all across the world have been able to reduce injuries and push their boundaries by using equipment created from these lighter, more durable materials.
Adolf “Adi” Dassler, the creator of Adidas, was one of the first to successfully commercialize a technologically advanced athletic item by developing a lightweight nylon sole and screw-in studs for a revolutionary football boot. With these boots, Germany overcame Hungary in the 1954 World Cup final in Bern (Switzerland). The German team picked Adi Dassler’s groundbreaking footwear because the terrain was so slippery because of the rain.
Their longer studs improved players’ grip, allowing them greater control of the ball, an advantage that helped them win the game. Since then, advances in sports shoe design have been spectacular thanks to significant investment in research and development (R&D). Today, major sporting goods manufacturers such as Nike, Puma, Asics and others spend more than 1% of their annual sales volume on R&D.
In (closely guarded) high-tech testing laboratories equipped with the latest advances, sports brands work closely with elite athletes, measuring and recording their movements in order to develop equipment for optimal performance. Some even have facilities specifically designed to develop and test equipment under various conditions. Aqualab, Speedo’s global research and development center, for example, worked with athletes, coaches, sports scientists, hydrodynamics experts, optical engineers and psychologists to create its innovative Fastskin Racing System.
This extensive range of swimwear and swim gear work together to help swimmers cut through the water with maximum efficiency. It is in these complex laboratories where the technological race of sport is disputed. The lightest running shoes in the world are ultralight and a “featherweight” and are the sum of countless technologies. The neon yellow Nike Zoom Victory Elite spikes, part of Nike’s Volt collection, designed especially for the Olympics, and worn by 10,000m and 5,000m champion Mo Farah and about 400 more athletes weigh just 98 grams.
Adidas’ adizero Prime SP spikes, created in collaboration with American sprinter Tyson Gay and British heptathlete Jessica Ennis, are also under 100 grams. This is the game of high technology, the neuralgic formula that drives the creation of new and sophisticated products. These, in turn, enable the exemplary performance that breaks records and is so loved by the media and sports fans around the world.
Smart clothes
Technological convergence and smart sportswear are the latest trends in sporting goods innovation. The growth prospects of high-tech for sports are such that many non-sports brands are keen to capture a piece of the market. Major consumer electronics manufacturers like Apple, Nokia and Samsung are working closely with top sports brands to develop new sports-related technology (and new revenue streams).
Thus, for example, Apple Inc. has already made inroads in the sector with its Nike + iPod sports package, which, thanks to sensors placed in Nike+ shoes, allows iPod users to obtain real-time information during training sessions. Ten years ago, in January 2012, Apple was granted a patent for a “smart garment” in which advanced sensors were attached that transfer data — such as location information, physiometric data of the wearer, garment performance and wear data — to an external data processing device, such as a portable digital media player connected to a computer server.
Sales of sports sensors increased from 20 million in 2011 to around 170 million in 2017. It is no wonder that there has been, and is, so much interest in this market that promises the birth of new joint ventures and licensing agreements. The success of such companies will depend, to a large extent, on the effective management of IP assets and affordable access to IP services, efficient and easy to use.
Winning designs
21st century sporting goods symbolize sport, lifestyle and fashion. Product design, whether retro or forward-thinking, is critical to your business’s success. Protecting the rights to those designs is equally important. Design rights, also known as design patents, are an important tool that allows sporting goods manufacturers to defend themselves against infringement.
The importance of IP cannot be underestimated in the commercial strategies of sporting goods companies. It is a determining factor in maintaining their competitiveness, and it is a fundamental element in the fight against counterfeiting, of which sporting goods manufacturers are too often victims.
“Leave a mark”
While patents and design rights are very important in protecting cutting-edge technologies with great consumer appeal, sporting goods companies make a living from the trademarks on which their brand identity is based. In today’s business environment, being able to obtain trademark protection quickly and efficiently in multiple markets is essential.
In its 58 years of existence, Nike and its iconic whistle have made a dent in the imagination of consumers and have become one of the best-known sports brands in the world, enjoying almost universal appeal, with global recognition of 97%. Valued at US$30 billion in 2021, this simple and memorable brand contributes significantly to the company’s image, value, and bottom line.
A fundamental advantage that sports brands enjoy at major sporting events is the fact that, unlike other official sponsors, they are at the center of the action. At these high-profile events, all eyes are on athletes wearing or using brand-name gear.
Some brands try to further increase their notoriety, for example by using bold colors, such as the bright yellow of Nike’s Volt collection, which stand out against the colors of a team. However, this practice is not always well received by major sports event organizers and rights holders.
This exhibition at no cost does not seem appropriate, taking into account the large sums that official sponsors disburse in order to be associated with high-profile sporting events. Some sports governing bodies regularly try to limit this exposure, for example by reducing the size and visibility of logos on sports clothing and equipment. In addition, an effort is made to temporarily suspend advertising campaigns featuring elite athletes before, during, and shortly after a major sporting event, even when such advertising is unrelated to the event.
However, the sporting goods industry and its representatives believe that the visibility of their logos at these events is well deserved and should not be limited, especially given the significant investments that the industry continues to make, both in kind and in support of sports federations, clubs and the athletes themselves.
The attractiveness of world-class athletic events would dwindle if the industry did not continue to spend in generating better products, and consumers, in general, would no longer profit from creative benchmark advances, particularly in the realm of continual product upgrades. Almost all athletic activities include sporting items. They have the potential to assist competitive athletes in reaching their greatest potential, as well as inspire new generations to join.
They also make community-based sports more enjoyable and rewarding. The commercial links that characterize the industry will become more complicated as worldwide interest in the sport rises. IP asset management that is strategic and effective. It is a critical component of successful intra-industry collaboration and fair trade.