Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal has announced that all intellectual property registrations related to sports covering trademarks, copyrights, patents, designs, Geographical Indicators (GI) and traditional knowledge will be free of cost for next three years with immediate effect. “Any IP, whether it is a trademark, copyright, patent, design, traditional knowledge or a GI product, will be free of cost for three years as a special drive to promote sports.”
“Behind every major sporting event lies a web of IP rights: the logos that fans are passionate about, the branding that defines teams and sponsors, the technology driving athletic performance and the broadcasting deals that bring sports events to millions of viewers. None of it is possible without strong IP frameworks,” tells Marie Paule Rizo, director, Hague Division, exclusively to NewsX, on the sidelines of World IP Day 2026 event.
Anant Swarup, Secretary general, FICCI, says, “IP is not just a legal framework. It is a powerful enabler of growth, competitiveness and opportunities. As India’s sporting ambitions grow and our innovation ecosystem strengthens, we must ensure that ideas are protected, creators are rewarded, and investment in sports is encouraged.”
Patent filings in India reached a record 110,375 in FY 2024–25, marking a 19.7% y-o-y increase and exceeding one lakh for the first time ever.
