GENEVA, April 25 (Xinhua) -- Intellectual property (IP) rights underlie and empower the financial model of all sporting events worldwide, Director General of World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Francis Gurry said Thursday.

"Every April 26, we celebrate World Intellectual Property Day to learn about the role that intellectual property (IP) rights play in encouraging innovation and creativity," said Gurry in his message.

He noted that the theme of this year's campaign is "Reach for Gold: IP and Sports".

Sports are not necessarily something immediately associated with intellectual property, and yet if sports are deconstructed, it becomes noticeable that they are "essentially about the spectacle," he said.

The way that spectacle occurs today is vastly different from how it took place in the past.

"Traditionally, tickets were sold to sports fans to enter an arena to watch a spectacle. At that time, the excitement of sporting competition did not move much beyond the arena," said Gurry.

Due to technological advances, many millions of people around the world can tune into and watch the spectacle, itself transformed in many ways by technology.

That process of broadcasting sporting action to fans in all parts of the world, and the investment it requires rewards broadcasters with an intellectual property right, which in turn makes it possible to finance the spectacle.

Intellectual property rights underlie and empower the financial model of all sporting events worldwide.

The WIPO chief said that today, broadcasters have advanced communications technologies available to them.

Because of innovations, it is possible to stay connected with a game or a match, to hear what the umpire is saying to the players, and in some sports, what the players themselves are saying to each other.

Gurry explained that design, another intellectual property right, enables teams, organizers of sporting competitions and sports brands to develop and promote their distinct identity and for fans to distinguish between them.

"And of course, trademarks which underpin sports branding, are an exceptionally important intellectual property right for teams and athletes to differentiate themselves and stand apart in a highly competitive market," said the WIPO chief.

He said that trademark rights are critical in allowing individual players and teams to gain a monetary reward from, for example, merchandising, including apparel, accessories, footwear and more -- and sponsorship deals.