Asiimwe Moses, BA.LLB at Marwadi University, Rajkot, Gujarat.
ABSTRACT
The World Intellectual Property Organization identified the sports industry as one of the major contributors to most national and regional economies. The sports industry evolved from being a known entertainment source to a business field. The chunks of money and resources invested in the sports industry have contributed to the commercialization of the sports industry. The sports industry comprises stakeholders at different levels whose contribution boosts its growth and development. In whichever category, these can be termed as investors whose interest is in the profits generated by the industry. Their investment amounts to intellectual properties which without protection from intellectual property laws, their commercial gains cannot be fully utilized due to infringement by third parties.
Intellectual property is an integral part of the commercialized sports industry. It is imperative to note that sports events like the English Premier League, La Liga, and Indian Premier League among others that have commercialized and protected their intellectual properties from third parties have earned a lot of revenue with their partners compared to other organizations in the -sports industry that are yet to realize the importance of intellectual property laws in the sport industry. The sports industry's intellectual property is governed by sports-specific rules and general legal rules in various jurisdictions.
Intellectual property laws address the legal challenges faced by the commercialized sports industry and protect the rights and interests of the stakeholders.
This research article provides an overview of intellectual property law in sports including different types of intellectual property rights, the legal framework governing intellectual property in sports, and commercial implications of intellectual property in the sports industry.
Keywords: Sports Industry, Intellectual Property, Commercialization, Legal Framework, Intellectual Property Rights.
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