In a recent interview with World Intellectual Property Review, Knobbe Martens Trademark and Brand Protection partner Jonathan Menkes, Co-Chair of the firm’s Sports and Gaming practice, shared insights on the latest sports intellectual property trends.
Menkes explained that as sports brands expand into industries such as fashion, media, and technology, professional athletes and teams face evolving IP challenges. For example, he noted, marketing strategies like the use of athlete jersey numbers as brand identifiers have led to unique trademark disputes in the sports industry.
Speaking to the role of generative AI in sports brand protection, Menkes discussed how AI-generated content creation may blur the lines between fan expression and trademark infringement. As such, he shared, sports brand owners are compelled to balance “a more complex landscape where infringement is easier to scale and harder to police” with fan engagement.
Read Menkes’ full comments on the intersection of sports and intellectual property in World Intellectual Property Review here [subscription required].
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