How Does Patent Protection Strengthen Innovation in the Sports and Fitness Industry?

Technology innovations in the sports & fitness industry can be protected through patent registration in the UAE. Sports technologists apply their innovation and creativity to develop safer and more efficient equipment. Novel and groundbreaking technologies are being protected under patent rights, enabling the patent owners to stop copycats from entering the market. Inventors in the industry can also profit from patent licensing. Consult with patent agents in Dubai to effectively secure your sports & fitness inventions.

Registering a patent in the UAE is an elaborate and time-consuming process. Inventors, therefore, must gather sufficient information before proceeding further. This article provides you with valuable insights on safeguarding your sports inventions through patents.

Why are Patents Critical for Innovation in Sports & Fitness Businesses? 

Patents in the sports and fitness industry protect the new invention and foster the growth of technology and innovation. Conducting patent registration in the UAE prevents the unauthorised invention during a patent’s protection period, which is usually 20 years. Patents provide an opportunity for inventors to recoup their investments in research and development.

This means patents inspire businesses to invest in inventing and commercialising inventive and improved products. Such acts would lead to the progress of technological innovation as all patents will be published. Moreover, once the products are commercialised, sports and fitness enthusiasts can make use of them in the marketplace. Patent agents in Dubai can help you navigate the process of applying for patent registration.

How does Patents Impact Professional Sports 

Many businesses in the sports industry are unaware of the way patents impact professional sports. Patents have significantly influenced the industry through a wide range of patented inventions such as camera systems and instant video replay systems. These systems have made it possible for players and athletes to dispute a decision made by a referee. If they claim a decision made by the referee to be wrong, camera systems and video replay systems can be used to determine whether the referee’s original decision was right or not.

These systems have been extensively used in cricket where a third umpire will reassess the decision made by the ground umpires upon an appeal made by the players. Other patented inventions have been banned from sports as they were found to undercut the competitive spirit of sports. Nike’s VaporFly running shoes were banned from the Tokyo Olympics as it was alleged to help athletes break the world at unprecedented rates.

Major Types of Sports and Fitness Patents 

Registering a patent can help sports companies and inventors as protection can be obtained for various inventions such as training equipment, golf clubs, stop-watches, sporting goods, nutritional supplements etc. As recent global examples suggest, sports drinks and muscle enhancers can also be patented. We can divide the key patents in the sports & fitness industry as follows:

  • Patents for fitness technology
  • Sports technology patents
  • Sports utility patents
  • Patent for sports live prediction technology
  • Sports equipment patents
  • E-sports patents

Steps to Patent a Sports & Fitness Invention in the UAE 

The process of patent registration in the UAE involves a series of complex steps. You need to first gather a set of hey documents such as a power of attorney (duly legalised), duly legalised extract from the commercial register or Memorandum of Association ( MoA, for companies), copy of English specification and claims with Arabic translation, a set of drawings of the invention, abstract of the invention etc. After that, the following steps must be executed:

  1. Carry out a patent search
  2. Prepare invention drawings
  3. File the application
  4. Submit all the documents including the drawings
  5. Make the payment
  6. Wait for examination and final granting of the patent
  7. Receive patent granting status

How to Protect Your Patents Internationally? 

Like all other IP rights patents are also territorial. A patent can be enforced only in the country or region in which they were granted protection. For instance, conducting patent registration in the UAE will allow you to protect your invention within that country only. It is practically tough and costlier for you to register patents in multiple countries through multiple filings.  However, the Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), administered by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), enables inventors to get patent protection in multiple countries through a single filing. Patent agents in Dubai can assist you in filing a patent application under the PCT system.

Consult with the Best Patent Agents in Dubai, UAE 

Conducting patent registration in the UAE is essential for sports and fitness inventors to protect their inventions. Patents inspire businesses to invest further into R&D to invent and commercialise better products. However, businesses need the assistance of patent agents in Dubai such as Jitendra Intellectual Property (JIP) to obtain patent protection without any hassle.

JIP has a team of highly qualified patent registration experts in Dubai who can advise you on the patentability of inventions and the procedure to register them. Apart from being qualified professionals in the patent industry, we are expert consultants with unparalleled ability to offer you valuable legal and technical insights. Leave the documentation and translations to our patent agents and we will ensure a faster patent approval without any hassle. If you are looking for specific patent protection advice tailored to your specific needs & requirements, consider consulting with us today.

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