World IP Day 2026 Celebrates the Theme of "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate!"

The World Intellectual Property Day is observed every year on April 26th, the day on which the WIPO Convention came into force in 1970. Recently, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) has announced that the 2026 edition of the World IP Day will celebrate the theme of "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate!".

This theme will bring the focus of celebration on intellectual property (IP) and sports, highlighting "how creativity and innovation, backed by IP rights, keep the world of sports thriving, dynamic and accessible for everyone, everywhere". As noted in WIPO's introduction for World IP Day 2026, "Sports aren't just about the game - they intersect with fashion, entertainment, media, health, gaming and consumer goods. IP such as patents, designs, trademarks, and copyrights, incentivises innovation and enables cross-industry connections with sport, sparking creativity, technological advancement and economic growth."

World IP Day is an annual event established by WIPO in 2000, with the aims of increasing the general awareness and understanding of IP and the roles IP rights play in encouraging and rewarding innovation and creativity. Since its inception, the day has grown into a global event, with programmes and activities held in countries around the world for the celebration.