Ready, Set, Innovate: Celebrating how IP supports innovation across the global sports industry

This World Intellectual Property Day, Marks & Clerk is celebrating how IP is powering modern sport around the world. Using the theme “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate”, we asked our attorneys to share real-world stories that reveal how intellectual property sits at the heart of sporting innovation. Spanning performance-enhancing technologies, engineering breakthroughs, the commercialisation of football clubs and the power of sporting brands, these insights show how IP fuels investment, protects creativity and turns sporting excellence into long-term value.

Contents

Performance, Technology and Innovation

• Hawk-Eye technology (Baseball)
• Engineering the impossible: ZXMOTO's breakthrough (Motorcycles)
• A new era of golf technology (Golf)
• Reinventing sport through wearable tech (VR)
• Nike’s take on foot-based neuroscience (Sports shoes)
• The next frontier of fitness wearable (Fitness Wearables)
• Cam-ing soon to a crag near you! (Climbing)
• Where patents power performance

Football Club Commercialisation

• The making of a global sports brand: JDT’s evolution (Football)
• The branding behind the badge (Football)
• Turning national stadiums into revenue engines (Football)

Brands, Identity and Cultural Capital

• Who owns the bird? Toronto Blue Jays (Baseball)
• Fashion’s athletic evolution (Fashion)
• Trade marks meet the track (Formula 1 Racing)
• What's in a name? Trade marks & 'Brand Beckham' (Naming Rights)
• The brand behind a face: Luke Littler (Brand of Identity)
• IP as a driver of value in sport

Performance, Technology and Innovation

“The relationship between sports and patents lies in the continuous innovation within the industry. Patents protect new technologies and designs that enhance athletic performance and safety. This protection fosters creativity and investment, driving advancements that benefit both athletes and the sports market as a whole.” – Monique Chu (Partner, Hong Kong)

Hawk-Eye technology (Baseball)

The razor‑thin margins that define Major League Baseball were on full display during the Toronto Blue Jays’ dramatic run to the 2025 World Series, where a single pitch ultimately separated championship glory from heartbreak. Today, those margins are increasingly shaped by technology rather than human judgment. MLB’s Automated Ball‑Strike (ABS) system, built on the Hawk‑Eye® camera tracking technology that also powers Statcast®, allows balls and strikes to be measured with extraordinary precision. Using high‑speed cameras and triangulation, the system determines pitch location in fractions of an inch, reshaping how games are officiated and experienced by players, umpires, and fans alike.

Beneath the on‑field impact lies a decades‑long story of innovation and intellectual property. Hawk‑Eye® technology originated in late‑1990s research at Roke Manor Research and evolved into a commercial platform through Hawk‑Eye Innovations Ltd., eventually acquired by Sony. Along the way, its founder, Dr Paul Hawkins, and Hawk‑Eye Innovations developed and secured a substantial patent portfolio covering optical tracking, trajectory analysis, multi‑camera coordination, and related systems. That portfolio, combined with proprietary software and operational know‑how, enabled the technology’s transition from broadcast enhancement to league‑wide officiating infrastructure. The evolution of ABS underscores a broader lesson in intellectual property: transformative technologies are rarely the product of a single invention, but of sustained innovation protected and refined over time. Nikki Davy (Counsel, Toronto)

For a more detailed discussion of the technology, patent history, and the Blue Jays’ experience with ABS, read Nikki's article.

Engineering the impossible: ZXMOTO's breakthrough (Motorcycles)

From March 28-29th 2026, Chinese motorcycle brand ZXMOTO claimed back-to-back WorldSBK race wins at the Portimão Circuit in Portugal, igniting a firestorm on Chinese social media. The story of founder Zhang Xue cuts straight to the heart: dropping out of school at 14 due to poverty, he became an apprentice at a repair shop; at 19, he chased a TV crew’s car in the pouring rain just for a chance to be seen by a racing team. To independently develop a three-cylinder engine, he walked away from his own company with nothing, staking his name and reputation on founding ZXMOTO; and at 39, he reached the pinnacle of the world stage. Meanwhile, French rider Valentin Debise, who had long been denied a championship, finally broke through his career ceiling, piloting this Chinese machine to crush Ducati and Yamaha by nearly four seconds.

This victory vividly illustrates the theme of this year's World Intellectual Property Day, "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate". It tells the story of a young man from the bottom rung of society who, through two decades of sheer grit, turned his pure passion into an unlikely triumph. Behind this lies the synergy between China’s manufacturing prowess and its IP system: from "center-of-gravity testing fixtures," to "hydraulic brake master cylinders" and "integrated rider-assist systems," ZXMOTO has laid out dozens of patents spanning engines, chassis, electronics, and more, building a moat with patents and carrying its reputation through its brand. This is not only a historic breakthrough for a Chinese motorcycle brand but also a classic Chinese story of dreams, innovation, and intellectual property. Xuefang Huang (Partner, Beijing)

A new era of golf technology (Golf)

Singapore may be hosting major golf events like LIV Golf Singapore, the HSBC Women’s World Championship and the Singapore Open – set to align with World IP Day in 2026 – but the sport itself remains relatively inaccessible to the regular player due to the higher costs associated with limited land and fewer courses. This backdrop makes Singapore-based Rapsodo stand out for delivering affordable golf technology which is now recognised globally, including by Golf Digest, which named Rapsodo's MLM2PRO its official launch monitor. Launched in 2023, the MLM2PRO uses Doppler radar and dual cameras to give everyday golfers detailed data on strike quality, spin, launch and carry: all features once limited to costly professional systems. This capability is protected by patents such as US 10,754,025, covering the combination of radar and camera data to track ball flight, and US 11,077,351, which protects 3D reconstruction of swing and impact. From its Singapore R&D hub, Rapsodo exemplifies how a city with few fairways can redefine global golf practice through innovation and IP leadership. Edward Ng (Senior Associate, Singapore) and Lim Eng Shan (Trainee Patent Attorney, Singapore)

Reinventing sport through wearable tech (VR)

Intellectual property is relevant not only to traditional physical sports, but increasingly to virtual sports as well. Wearable technologies developed for virtual gaming and sports, particularly those designed to overcome challenges such as overly complex or prohibitively expensive existing systems, can be patentable. In this context, securing a patent is a valuable investment, safeguarding the substantial time and effort required to develop the underlying technology.

I find it especially rewarding when clients integrate patents into their market adoption strategies, as patents can be a powerful tool that enables smaller companies and individual inventors to compete effectively with larger, more established players. Local company Refract Technologies appears to have recognised this potential through its patent pending “AXIS” motion tracking wearables, which were used in partnership with Samsung during the world’s first virtual taekwondo tournament held in Singapore as part of Olympic Esports Week 2023. Martin Kwan (Principal, Singapore)

Nike’s take on foot-based neuroscience (Sports shoes)

Nike’s Mind 001 and Mind 002 shoes represent one of the most intriguing intersections of modern neuroscience and ancient body‑based wellness traditions. While Nike frames the Mind series as a product of cutting‑edge sports science, the design principles behind the shoes bear a striking resemblance to long‑standing concepts found in Chinese acupuncture footwear and foot reflexology practices, particularly the use of targeted pressure under the sole to influence the nervous system and mental state.

At the core of both Nike Mind models is a system of 22 independently moving underfoot nodes on each shoe, distributed across the sole and mapped to anatomical pressure zones of the foot. Nike describes these nodes as activating mechanoreceptors that send sensory signals to the brain, increasing present‑moment awareness and calm before or after performance. This philosophy appears to closely parallel Chinese reflexology techniques, with records dating back 5,000 years, wherein specific areas of the foot are considered to correspond with organs, neural pathways, and mental states.

The Nike Mind 001 and 002 demonstrate how innovation often moves forward by looking backward - rediscovering time‑tested ideas, validating them scientifically, and delivering them through new materials, branding, and patent‑protected engineering. Whether framed as neuroscience or reflexology, the message underfoot is the same: sensation drives awareness, and awareness shapes performance. Samuel Mailer (Associate, UK)

For a deeper exploration of how Nike's Mind shoes bridge modern neuroscience, ancient reflexology traditions and patent-driven innovation, read Samuel's article.

The next frontier of fitness wearable (Fitness Wearables)

Fitness wearables are evolving rapidly, with the next frontier moving beyond heart rate and recovery metrics towards real‑time insights into muscle performance. Recent trade mark filings and patent activity suggest that major players are now focusing on tracking muscle oxygen saturation (SmO2), using technologies such as near‑infrared spectroscopy to capture data that was once limited to professional or laboratory settings. While the underlying optical techniques may be well established, the real innovation lies in how this complex data is processed, contextualised and translated into actionable insights for everyday athletes. If companies can solve the challenge of making SmO2 data genuinely interpretable and useful, it has the potential to redefine training, recovery and rehabilitation across endurance, strength and performance sport. Samuel Mailer (Associate, UK)

For a closer look at how recent trade mark and patent activity points to a shift towards muscle oxygen saturation tracking in fitness wearables, read Samuel's article.

Cam-ing soon to a crag near you! (Climbing)

With the Climbing Wall Asociation (CWA) Summit in Salt Lake City having wrapped up last week (24th April), Gripped Magazine posted a series of photos from the Summit, including images of what appear to be prototype climbing cams developed by Petzl with “PatPend” printed on the side. Companies often mark products with terms such as “Patent Pending” or “PatPend” as a strategic deterrent. While it does not mean a patent has already been granted, it does signal that patent protection is being actively sought. For competitors, this raises the risk that copying the product could lead to infringement once the patent is granted and enforced retroactively. According to a recent patent owned by Zedel – one of Petzl’s manufacturing subsidiaries – it relates to a new type of camming device that incorporates a textile wire element passing through a series of holes in the cam lobes. This configuration reduces variations in trigger strength that can arise during manufacturing and that typically need to be corrected later. In practical terms, this could result in more consistent handling and performance across units, something climbers greatly appreciate in protection they trust with their lives. Zedel has also filed corresponding pending patent applications in China, Europe, and the United States, all claiming priority from the original French filing. I’m looking forward to seeing this cam on the crag in the near future. And I can’t help but wonder what climbing protection might look like in another 50 years’ time. Self‑placing cams, perhaps? Harry Press (Trainee Patent Attorney, UK)

For further insight into how Petzl’s apparent “patent pending” prototype cam blends engineering refinement with a strategic global IP approach, read Harry's article.

Where patents power performance

The relationship between sports and patents lies in the continuous innovation within the industry. Patents protect new technologies and designs that enhance athletic performance and safety. This protection fosters creativity and investment, driving advancements that benefit both athletes and the sports market as a whole. Monique Chu (Partner, Hong Kong)

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Football Club Commercialisation

“Strong IP protection enables clubs to regulate the use of their intellectual properties, prevent unauthorised exploitation and maintain consistency across commercial partnerships. This helps preserve brand integrity and enhances the club’s appeal to sponsors seeking global exposure and association with a reputable sporting institution.” – Kwok Tat Wai (Partner, Singapore)

The making of a global sports brand: JDT’s evolution (Football)

Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) is the state team for the Malaysian state of Johor, and it has revolutionised the local football league through privatisation and world-class infrastructure. Widely regarded as the regional blueprint for professional sports management, JDT has officially entered its “Chapter 2” phase for the 2025/2026 season, marking over a decade of transformation into a global lifestyle brand. Beyond their dominance on the pitch, JDT has branched out into racing, ice hockey and luxury retail, treating their logo as a valuable commercial asset. This evolution is significant as it proves how a sports entity can use its brand power to secure global partnerships with icons like Nike and Aston Martin. Veronica Guuk (Senior Associate, Malaysia)

The branding behind the badge (Football)

Football clubs today operate as global commercial brands, with revenue generation closely linked to the management of their intellectual property assets. Key income streams such as merchandise sales, licensing and sponsorship deals depend on the protection of core brand elements, including club names, crests and official designs. Sponsorships, including shirt partnerships, stadium naming rights, and global collaborations derive significant value from a club’s identity, visibility and reputation. As such, the ability to protect and control these assets is essential for attracting and retaining high-value sponsors.

Strong IP protection enables clubs to regulate the use of their intellectual properties, prevent unauthorised exploitation and maintain consistency across commercial partnerships. This helps preserve brand integrity and enhances the club’s appeal to sponsors seeking global exposure and association with a reputable sporting institution. In this way, intellectual property protection is not only a legal safeguard but also a key driver of commercial success and long-term growth. Being an avid fan of football myself, where the focus is often on winning domestic leagues, the UEFA Champions League and other competitions, it is interesting to consider success from a different perspective. Seeing the club you support “win” through strong sponsorship deals and effective brand protection provides a deeper understanding of the business and strategic aspects of modern football. Kwok Tat Wai (Partner, Singapore)

Turning national stadiums into revenue engines (Football)

In March 2026, the Malaysia Stadium Corporation partnered with Telekom Malaysia to rebrand the Bukit Jalil National Stadium (now TM Stadium Nasional) and Putra Indoor Stadium (now Unifi Arena). This is a landmark deal for Malaysia, showing how national assets can use trademarks and naming rights to fund public infrastructure through private revenue, ensuring these assets remain world-class and commercially sustainable. As the largest stadium in Southeast Asia and the iconic home ground for the national football team, these venues are the heart of the Malaysian sports landscape. Veronica Guuk (Senior Associate, Malaysia)

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Brands, Identity and Cultural Capital

“The whole purpose of sport is to create competition, entertain and engage fans, and the public and athletes, sportsmen and women can often become iconic in the public imagination. This means there is a unique opportunity for sports brands, sponsors and other commercial partners to use the platform of sport to grow and enhance their brand reputation and awareness in new ways.” – John Ferdinand (Partner, UK)

Who owns the bird? Toronto Blue Jays (Baseball)

As part of their 50th anniversary celebrations, the Toronto Blue Jays (the only Major League Baseball team in Canada) decided to revive their original team mascot, ‘BJ Birdy’, in a bid to tap into fan nostalgia and celebrate the club’s history. While fans welcomed the return of the original mascot, the move unexpectedly raised an intellectual property issue: whether the Toronto Blue Jays have the right to use the mascot at all. Unlike most professional sports’ mascots, BJ Birdy was never owned by the team but by its creator and performer, Kevin Shanahan.

Shanahan created BJ Birdy and portrayed the mascot for 20 years, from inception in 1979 to 1999. Although the character became inseparable from the Blue Jays’ brand during that period, ownership of the copyright remains with Shanahan. When his relationship with the team ended, he offered to sell the rights to the mascot, but the club declined. As a result, no transfer of ownership ever occurred, and those copyrights – which in Canada generally last until the 70th calendar year following the author’s death – remain in force today.

The issue came to light when the Blue Jays reintroduced BJ Birdy as part of their 50th anniversary celebrations without informing Shanahan. He reportedly learned of the mascot’s return only after media inquiries were directed to him. While there is no suggestion of bad faith, the situation illustrates how a failure to obtain the appropriate permissions at the outset can lead to legal and reputational risks when using an asset without the owner's authorization.

This is an important lesson for organizations, especially those revisiting legacy creative assets, to undertake careful due diligence to confirm ownership rights or secure the necessary permissions before using or marketing familiar characters. Nostalgia alone does not trump copyright ownership, and even well-intentioned celebrations benefit from early engagement with creators behind the brand’s legacy. Kamleh J. Nicola (Partner, Toronto) and Amylee Hu-Fouye (Associate, Toronto)

Fashion’s athletic evolution (Fashion)

From Stella McCartney x Adidas over 20 years ago to the recent Loewe X ON, crossovers of sports brand and fashion brands are always highly sought-after by consumers. The vibrant image of sports brand and the functionality of sportswear perfectly blend into high fashion. The exclusivity of these collections consistently creates a demand in the market and often enables luxury brands to attract younger customers. Such brand synergy will certainly continue to play an important part in the exploitation of IP. Jacqueline Chu (Partner, Hong Kong)

Trade marks meet the track (Formula 1 Racing)

I am a big fan of HSBC SVNS and an even bigger fan of F1 Grand Prix! I am also proud every time I recognise a client’s trade mark on an F1 racing car as part of sponsorship. HSBC SVNS Singapore typically takes place early in the year, whilst Singapore GP later in the year. Local establishments looking to hold special promotions in conjunction with such renowned events should be careful not to make any unauthorised use of trade marks belonging to relevant event organisers or sponsors. Kimberly Chen (Associate, Singapore)

What's in a name? Trade marks & 'Brand Beckham' (Naming Rights)

In Brooklyn Beckham's statement via Instagram that he does not wish to reconcile with his parents, he states that he was "repeatedly pressured and [they] attempted to bribe me into signing away the rights to my name". As this BBC article rightly points out, it is not clear exactly which rights Brooklyn is referring to but we might assume that, given the clear value, investment, reputation and importance of the various BECKHAM trade marks, the owners of these trade marks are perhaps understandably keen to ensure that no-one else can benefit from them. Various members of the Beckham family and associated businesses hold registered trade marks featuring BECKHAM across a wide range of goods and services, dating back as far as 2000.

In particular, in 2016, an EU trade mark was registered for BROOKLYN BECKHAM, owned specifically by “Victoria Beckham, as parent and guardian of Brooklyn Beckham”. One might say that Brooklyn therefore does not own the rights to his name.

Chelsea Football Club held a trade mark for JOSE MOURINHO which meant that, upon his move to Manchester United, that club could not use his name to sell any club merchandise, as Chelsea still held the trade mark. Third party ownership of your name can therefore present a minefield in terms of trading and doing business. Ella Newell (Senior Associate, UK)

For a look at how trade mark ownership of personal names can create complex legal and commercial issues, read Ella's full article.

The brand behind a face: Luke Littler (Brand of Identity)

High-profile individuals are increasingly filing UK trade marks for their faces in response to AI-generated content, which poses a genuine threat to the ‘brand of identity’ vested in their appearance. Graeme Murray (Senior Associate, UK)

Read more of Graeme's comments in The Times.

IP as a driver of value in sport

It’s always exciting to be involved in IP protection in the sports sector since it touches so many levels of society, businesses and brands in a truly unifying way, and also because the types of rights and commercial context of their use are particularly innovative.

The whole purpose of sport is to create competition, entertain and engage fans, and the public and athletes, sportsmen and women can often become iconic in the public imagination. This means there is a unique opportunity for sports brands, sponsors and other commercial partners to use the platform of sport to grow and enhance their brand reputation and awareness in new ways.

Aside from innovation in pursuit of sporting excellence resulting in the creation of new products and high performance materials which often result in patentable innovations as teams and competitors pursue marginal gains in the pursuit of victory in sports like F1, there are also innovative fan and business engagement strategies used in the context of sport to generate interest and attention. This includes the development of non-traditional trade marks such as multimedia marks, goal celebrations, iconic victory poses and gestures which go viral and become uniquely associated with famous individuals as well as forming part of the public zeitgeist and new ways for non-sports brands – the commercial value of protecting these elements can be particularly important to athletes after their sporting careers come to an end. It’s also often the case that control over publicity of new brands and re-branding strategies in the sports sector often requires the utmost secrecy up to the last minute to build anticipation and generate interest in teams and competitions.

As such, the sports sector is particularly fast-moving and varied when it comes to IP where the whole spectrum of IP rights from patents, copyright, designs, trade marks and rights of personality as well as creative IP protection and licensing strategies are important to the various stakeholders involved in sport so that truly iconic brands can be built, commercialised and promoted and form part of the cultural zeitgeist. John Ferdinand (Partner, UK)

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