World Intellectual Property Day: April 26, 2026: Intellectual Property and Sport: Ready - Start - Innovate
To honor the role of intellectual property in socio-economic life, the World Intellectual Property Organization has chosen April 26th each year as "World Intellectual Property Day".


The theme for World Intellectual Property Day 2026 is: “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate”.
Advanced equipment, team identity, broadcasting unforgettable sporting moments, and more: Intellectual property is key to protecting and promoting inventions, designs, trademarks, and stories that drive the world of sports, inspire athletes, and connect fans everywhere.
Sports are more than just games – they intersect with fashion, entertainment, media, health, video games, and consumer goods. Intellectual property objects such as patents, industrial designs, trademarks, and copyrights encourage innovation and enable interdisciplinary connections with sports, sparking creativity, technological progress, and economic growth. Even when you're off the stadium or off the playing field, sports and intellectual property are still a part of your daily life – just look down at the sneakers on your feet.
World Intellectual Property Day 2026 celebrates how creativity and innovation, supported by intellectual property rights , help make the world of sport vibrant, dynamic, and accessible to everyone, everywhere.
Let's celebrate World Intellectual Property Day on April 26th and honor the contributions of the innovators, inventors, and entrepreneurs working behind the scenes to constantly push the boundaries of sporting achievement, enhance audience experiences, and bring sporting events to every family.