World Intellectual Property Day 2026 highlighted the theme of IP and sport, which has become increasingly relevant for brands operating across performance, culture, technology and global media. Intellectual property now sits at the heart of how sports brands innovate, grow revenue and protect reputation.
For global brands such as PUMA, IP strategy is the foundation for product launches, endorsements and digital engagement. As Desirée Russo, Trademark Counsel at PUMA, says: “Our goal is to create a globally aligned but locally informed brand protection culture.”
Achieving this is complex. Trademark systems differ from market to market. Performance technologies must be protected well before they reach consumers. Digital channels require constant monitoring. From Ogier’s perspective, this means navigating cross-border complexity with commercial awareness and an integrated global strategy.
This article explores how sports brands protect performance and value through IP, combining insights from PUMA’s in-house perspective with commentary from Ogier’s IP specialist Sophie Peat.
Global by design: building and managing trademark portfolios
Trademarks are central to every aspect of a sports brand. They protect product names, athlete collaborations, campaign identities, digital assets and performance technologies. For PUMA, everything starts with a global trademark architecture that works across all markets.
“Managing a global portfolio requires a harmonised strategy paired with local execution. Trademark rights are territorial, so local insights matter,” Russo explains. For PUMA, that means global clearance searches at the earliest stage, alignment with marketing and product teams worldwide, and a mix of international, regional and national filings that build a resilient and flexible portfolio.
Operational consistency is equally important. In this context, “Education prevents unintentional risk,” Russo says. PUMA uses internal software to manage its IP portfolio and holds regular “IP Days” at global offices to disseminate and strengthen internal IP knowledge.
From the adviser side, Peat describes the practical complexity: “Trademark law and practice vary widely. You do not need to be an expert in every jurisdiction, but you must know which questions to ask and when to involve trusted local counsel. What works in one country will not work in another.”
She also emphasises the importance of reviewing inherited portfolios. “You cannot take data at face value. Gaps or errors, especially around deadlines, can result in the accidental loss of rights.”
Protecting innovation at speed
Performance innovation moves fast, so IP protection must move even faster. This starts long before a name reaches a marketing plan.
“Before marketing teams fall in love with a name, we must carry out clearance searches across key markets,” Russo says. This includes word marks, logos, packaging and even audio or visual campaign assets.
Protection spans multiple rights:
- patents for functions, materials and performance technologies
- design rights for visual elements, which often require filing before any public disclosure
- trade secrets protected by strong NDAs across suppliers, manufacturers, researchers and athletes
- combined online and offline trademark filings to prevent cybersquatting.
Design filings are particularly time sensitive. Many jurisdictions require applications to be submitted before any public reveal, which means launch plans and confidentiality must be tightly coordinated across teams. “We learned this the hard way from the Rihanna case, which highlighted how essential it is to secure protection of designs before they are shown publicly,” Russo says.
In the case, a 2014 Instagram post of singer Rihanna wearing Fenty Puma Creepers invalidated PUMA’s later 2016 design registration, as a court found that public, pre-launch images destroyed the design’s novelty.
Performance claims also require technical and regulatory review to ensure accuracy and compliance across markets. This helps avoid misleading advertising challenges, which can be costly and disruptive when launches span multiple jurisdictions.
For advisers, protecting innovation efficiently means sequencing filings to align with both legal developments and commercial timing.
“When changes in law are approaching, clients ask whether to file now or wait, Peat says. “The answer depends on factors such as the nuances of the particular jurisdiction and the client’s priorities.”
Cayman in a global IP strategy
PUMA holds registrations in every jurisdiction worldwide, including small markets that may function as transit hubs, where early filings can deter counterfeit activity.
The Cayman Islands and British Virgin Islands play a strategic role in global trademark portfolios.
“A global brand like PUMA relies on Cayman and BVI as part of asset protection, portfolio structuring and enforcement,” Russo says. “They prevent bad-faith filings and close gaps that could be exploited.”
From Ogier’s perspective, these jurisdictions add both practicality and protection. “Cayman and BVI have efficient IP offices and affordable filing systems. Even if brands are not yet operating locally, protection can deter bad-faith filings in the future,” Peat explains.
She adds that Ogier has also seen real enforcement value. “We have used earlier filed BVI rights to prevent a local company from using a client’s trademark in its company name. The company ultimately had to change it.”
Beyond filing: what clients need from advisers
PUMA draws a clear distinction between an executor and a strategic adviser. “A filing provider is a mere executor. A cross-border adviser is a creative thinker who integrates local nuances into a global strategy,” Russo says.
This covers risk management, brand architecture, licensing, long-term planning and commercial alignment.
From the law firm’s perspective, the value comes from integration. Peat notes that a strategic adviser acts as an extension of the client’s IP team. “We bring forward ideas, stay ahead of changes and explain risk clearly so the business can make informed decisions.”
Russo notes responsiveness is also essential. “Fast communication is critical across time zones. Advice must reflect real business needs.”
Risk, enforcement and the protection of brand value
Weak or incomplete trademark protection exposes global sports brands to significant commercial risk. The most common issues are:
- early hijacking of marks by bad-faith filers
- counterfeit and grey market goods
- limited enforcement capability
- failed takedown requests on online marketplaces
- disrupted athlete or ambassador collaborations
- lost licensing or distribution opportunities, and
- fragmented global brand identity.
“Customs authorities rely on valid registrations,” Russo says. “Without them, enforcement can be weak or impossible.”
Peat sees the same issues across clients: “Gaps can lead to costly disputes and create channels for counterfeit goods. For investors and commercial partners, strong IP protection is often a critical part of the deal.”
The future of IP in sport
The sports industry is shifting rapidly, influenced by AI, digital experiences, new materials and sustainability regulation. These trends are reshaping IP priorities.
AI is transforming operations, workflows and content creation. Or as Russo notes: “AI is becoming a foundational engine across sports operations.” This increases risk around trademarks in digital content and AI-generated imagery.
Sustainability also drives new IP considerations. Sustainability programmes and eco labels require protection, while innovations in materials, foams and fabrics need patents and trademarks. PUMA’s NITRO foam platform is a key example of performance technology that requires global protection.
Counterfeiting continues to rise. High visibility athlete collaborations, social media campaigns and global drops increase exposure. Sports brands now rely on analytics, monitoring, customs collaboration and online marketplace enforcement to stay ahead.
Peat adds: “With AI, there are more ways than ever to infringe IP, and the laws are still catching up. Monitoring now needs to cover more platforms than ever before.”
Coordinated IP for a complex global landscape
The sports industry is evolving quickly. Performance innovation, digital storytelling, athlete partnerships and sustainable materials all depend on strong, consistent, cross-border IP protection.
For brands such as PUMA, IP strategy has become global by design and locally grounded in execution. It requires coordination, speed, cultural insight and forward-looking risk management.
For advisers like Ogier, the role is to simplify global complexity and support clients with practical, commercial and integrated advice.
World IP Day 2026 is a reminder that in sport, innovation achieves impact only when it is protected.
Sophie Peat is a partner at Ogier and spearheads the firm’s Intellectual Property (IP) group.
