The Director General of the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Francis Gurry, mentioned in his 2019 message that It explores how innovation, creativity and the intellectual property rights that encourage and protect them, support the development of sport and its enjoyment around the world.

The idea of annually declaring 26 April as a World Intellectual Property Day was approved by the General Assembly of the WIPO in October 1999. It was then decided in the year 2000 that annually, this day would be the selected in order to learn about the role that intellectual property rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity.

On this day the WIPO wants to emphasise universal sport values which encompass excellence, respect and fair play. Through advances in broadcasting and communication technologies, anyone, anywhere can follow sporting action around the clock, tracking the performances of their favourite athletes and teams without leaving home.

Sports have become a multi-billion dollar global industry - one that generates investments in facilities (from sports stadia to broadcasting networks), employs millions of people around the world and entertains many more - which is a good reason why the WIPO regards it as a great opportunity to invest in sports this year.

Through their investments in sports, business relationships which have been built on intellectual property rights help to secure the economic value of sports. This, in turn, stimulates the growth of the industry by enabling sporting organisations to finance the events they savour, by providing the means to promote sports development at the grassroots.

The WIPO further looks at how sports businesses use patents and designs to foster the development of new technologies, materials, training and equipment help to improve athletic performance and engage fans worldwide.

On this day they find out how trademarks and branding maximise commercial revenue from sponsorships, merchandising and licensing agreements. These revenues offset the cost of organising world-class events, such as the Olympic Games and World Cup series, and ensure that the value and integrity of these spectacular events are safeguarded.

However, this year’s campaign is an opportunity to celebrate sporting heroes and all the people around the world who are innovating behind the scene to boost sports’ performance and its global appeal.

OFM News/Tshidiso Magagula and Ntsikie Joyi