In today's increasingly competitive global landscape, the sports goods industry, as a vital part of the sports sector, places particular emphasis on brand usage and trademark management. Major international sporting events like the Olympics are not only stages for athletes to showcase their talents but also prime opportunities for sports brands to make their mark and enhance their brand influence. This article will use sports brands featured in the Olympics as examples to discuss brand usage and trademark management in sports goods.

The use of sports brand names refers to the process by which sports brands display their image through logos, names, design elements, and other means in various scenarios, promoting product sales and market expansion. As a core component of a brand, a trademark is not only an important asset for a company but also a crucial sign for consumers to identify the source of goods and services. Therefore, effective trademark management is significant for protecting brand rights and maintaining market order.

Understanding the Trademark Usage Scenarios, Forms, and Characteristics of Sports Brands in the Olympics

Scenarios and Forms

1. Awards Ceremony Attire: During the Olympics, athletes from various countries stand on the podium wearing awards attire that represents national honor. These outfits are often designed and sponsored by well-known domestic and International sports brands. For example, Anta's "Champion Dragon Suit" designed for the Chinese sports delegation integrates traditional cultural elements with modern design concepts, showcasing the brand image through unique trademark identification and becoming a highlight during the Olympics.

2. Event Sponsorship: Many sports brands gain opportunities to display their brands inside and outside the venue by sponsoring Olympic events. Sponsorship forms include but are not limited to venue advertising, event broadcast exposure, and official equipment supply. Trademark usage in these scenarios not only increases brand exposure but also strengthens the association between the brand and high-end sports events.

3. Athlete Equipment: The clothing, shoes, and other equipment worn by athletes during competitions are also crucial scenes for sports brands to display their trademarks. The trademark design on these pieces of equipment is often simple and eye-catching, making it easy for the audience to recognize while reflecting the brand's professionalism and technological sense.

Characteristics

- High Exposure: As one of the world's top sports events, the Olympics have a broad audience and significant influence. Trademark usage by sports brands during this period can gain extremely high exposure, helping to enhance brand awareness and reputation.

- Cultural Integration: Many sports brands incorporate local cultural elements into their equipment designs during the Olympics, showing respect for the host country and enhancing the brand's cultural connotation and appeal.

- Technological Innovation: With the advancement of technology, sports brands also focus more on technological innovation in equipment design. These innovations are often presented to consumers through a combination of trademark identification and brand names, highlighting the brand's technical strength and competitive edge.

What Should We Pay Attention to in Trademark Management and Protection?

1. Trademark Registration and Protection: Sports brands must ensure that they have applied for trademark registration and obtained trademark registration certificate before using the trademarks. According to the international classification, sports equipment goods are designated in Class 28 and sportswear goods are designated in Class 25. During the registration process, companies can choose unique and memorable trademark names and logos based on their corporate philosophy and product type to avoid conflicts with existing trademarks. At the same time, attention should also be paid to the using evidence retention, renewal and modification of trademarks to ensure the continuous validity of trademark rights.

2. Market Monitoring and Rights Protection: Companies should establish a comprehensive market monitoring mechanism to promptly detect and stop infringement. Once it is found that others are using same or similar trademark or logos without permission, immediate measures should be taken to stop the infringement and avoid damage to their own interests. In the rights protection process, companies can entrust professional intellectual property lawyers or organizations to resolve infringement issues through legal channels.

3. Brand Promotion and Marketing: Sports brands should strengthen brand promotion and marketing through various channels to improve brand awareness and reputation. This not only helps to enhance the competitiveness of products in the market but also better protects the brand's reputation and interests. In the promotion process, companies should ensure the authenticity and legality of the promotional content to avoid misleading consumers or infringing on the rights of others.

Case Study Analysis of Sports Brand Trademarks

Case Study 1: Anta's "Champion Dragon Suit" Trademark Usage and Protection

As one of the leading enterprises in China's sports goods industry, Anta has demonstrated its strong brand strength in the Olympic Games. Taking the 2024 Paris Olympics as an example, Anta's "Champion Dragon Suit" designed for the Chinese sports delegation once again became a focus. The design not only integrates traditional cultural elements with modern design concepts but also showcases Anta's brand image through unique trademark identification. In terms of trademark usage, Anta ensured the prominence and legality of the trademarks on the "Champion Dragon Suit," effectively enhancing the brand's exposure and reputation. At the same time, Anta also strengthened market monitoring and rights protection, promptly detecting and stopping the occurrence of infringement.

Case Study 2: A Company Selling Basketballs Infringing on the "Wilson" Registered Trademark Rights

In May 2023, the Market Supervision Bureau of Gaoming District, Foshan City, investigated a case of selling basketballs infringing on the "Wilson" registered trademark rights. In this case, the party purchased and sold basketballs markedwith the "Wilson" logo, which was identical to the registered trademark registered by Wilson Sporting Goods Co. The basketballs were identified as infringing products upon appraisal.. The Market Supervision Bureau, in accordance with relevant laws and regulations, ordered the infringer to immediately cease the infringing actions, confiscated 23 basketballs involved in the case, and imposed a fine of RMB 5,000. This case once again reminds sports goods brands to strengthen the monitoring and crackdown on market infringement to ensure that their trademark rights are not infringed.

In terms of brand management and protection, the Kangxin IP Platform (eservice.kangxin.com) has won the trust of many enterprises with its professional and efficient services, combining online and offline to provide comprehensive trademark asset management services for enterprises.

The platform uses global trademark big data and AI algorithms to achieve full-process online self-service operations such as trademark search, registration, and monitoring, supporting graphic trademark "image-to-image" search to improve search efficiency and accuracy. With a professional intellectual property team and global protection channels, it provides strong protection for enterprise trademark services. After the successful registration of trademarks, it provides real-time monitoring services to help users promptly detect and stop infringement. At the same time, it provides convenient processes and legal advice for trademark transfer, renewal, and other needs.

The use and management of sports brand trademarks is a complex and systematic project that requires enterprises to plan and execute effectively in multiple aspects. Through the analysis in this article, it can be seen that sports brands should make full use of opportunities such as major international sports events to showcase brand image and strength; at the same time, they should strengthen trademark registration and protection, market monitoring and rights protection, as well as brand promotion and marketing; in addition, they can also improve the level of brand management and protection with the help of professional organizations such as the Kangxin IP Platform. Only in this way can they maintain an unbeatable position in the fierce market competition and achieve sustainable development.