Sport is also intellectual property
When it comes to the World Cup, the numbers speak for themselves: a joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization (WTO) projects a global gross output of $80.1 billion and a contribution to global GDP of $40.9 billion, as well as the creation of 824,000 full-time jobs. Beyond the numbers, however, even more telling is the ripple effect that a single event triggers globally: brands of all kinds working flat out to produce World Cup merchandise, broadcast rights, digital platforms monetising every click, hotels operating at full capacity, airlines increasing routes and frequencies, supermarkets selling screens and drinks in unprecedented volumes. Even on the fringes of the formal economy, street vendors and pirate merchandise sellers find in the World Cup an extraordinary income opportunity. The World Cup not only mobilises multi-million dollar capital, but simultaneously activates multiple layers of the global economy.
Copyright is no stranger to this tournament. The theme of the World Cup always creates great expectation. Since 1966, when FIFA decided to reinforce its marketing strategy, an official theme song for the event was introduced. Although that year's World Cup Willie passed without much fanfare, several other attempts followed and by 1998, with Ricky Martin's Copa de la Vida, the World Cup song had become a global phenomenon.
Continue reading the opinion column by our IP expert partner Monserrat Soto for Delfino.cr here.
Related professionals
LATEST FROM #ECIJA
The historic agreement between Michael Jackson and Pepsi marked a turning point in the commercial exploitation of image rights, laying the foundations for modern sponsorship contracts. Today, in a world dominated by social media and artificial intelligence, these agreements are more complex and strategic than ever.
Félix Jáquez, a partner at ECIJA DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, is taking part as a moderator at the 2026 Trust Services and Digital Certification Congress
The new Federal Film and Audiovisual Act, published on 22 May 2026, repeals the 1992 legislation in order to comprehensively regulate the production, distribution and screening of content in traditional cinemas and on digital on-demand platforms.
The project will establish the foundations for the secure, scalable, and responsible design, development, and deployment of artificial intelligence solutions within the regional government
The World Cup kicked off on June 11 in Mexico City and, for a little over a month, will be the most-watched event on the planet. Industry estimates point to a cumulative audience of nearly five billion people and more than USD 10 billion in additional global advertising spend. For fans, it is a celebration. For brands, it is the most coveted communications platform in the world.
The CNMC has begun to focus on this new landscape. Not to tell brands 'don't produce brand content', but for a much more specific reason: to ensure that consumers know when they are being shown advertising.
The firm is ranked at level 1 in Copyright and related rights and at level 2 in trademark prosecution, with 11 professionals recognised in the international ranking.
The presentation of the PROFILM report highlights the decrease in investment and international projects in Spain, emphasizing the need to strengthen incentives and legal certainty.
The growing use of Camariñas lace by the fashion industry has reignited the debate on its legal protection as a cultural and economic asset.
