Every year, on April 26, World Intellectual Property Day (WIPD) is celebrated by innovators, creators and intellectual property (IP) professionals around the world. Led by the World Intellectual Property Organization, this year's theme, "IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate," highlights how IP fuels innovation across the sports industry. To mark the occasion, the Canadian Intellectual Property Office is highlighting how IP functions like a team sport, with players on different fields setting businesses up for success. In every article, we'll highlight the final play or the big takeaway of the story.
In Canada, ice hockey holds a unique place in the country's culture and identity. As the official national winter sport, it brings together fans across regions and from different generations and remains a central part of Canada's professional sports landscape.
We spoke with Matthew Perry, Director of Digital and Social Media Marketing for the Ottawa Senators, to learn how IP underpins a modern sports organization, from protecting its brand to creating meaningful connections with fans.
How and when was the Ottawa Senators brand protected?
We began protecting our brand and IP even before the team was founded and even prior to our bid for a franchise in 1990. It is something that we continue to do as our brand evolves with new logos, slogans and anything the public could associate with our brand. We work closely with our legal team to ensure our colours, marks and even our mascot, Spartacat, are protected across all global territories where our fans follow us.
…the name and logo are our foundation. They are what fans tattoo on their arms and what players wear on their chests.
Which parts of the organization touch IP?
Every single part of our organization as well as some of our partners who have access to usage of our rights and marks. My Digital and Social Media teams use it as a key component in creating original content; our Merchandise team uses it to design the gear fans buy at Ottawa Team Threads; and our Partnerships team leverages it to build value for our partners. It's a collaborative effort to ensure that every touchpoint—from a TikTok video to jerseys on the shelves across the world—is consistent and protected.
What types of IP do you rely on the most?
At the core of everything we do are our trademarks and most specifically, our official name and the Senators logo. These are the most vital pieces of IP we own. They are the immediate visual shorthand for our organization, history and our connection to the city. While we certainly value our copyrighted digital content and the proprietary tech in our app, the name and logo are the foundation. They are what the fans tattoo on their arms and what players wear on their chests. Protecting those specific marks ensures that the Sens identity remains exclusive and untarnished. In turn, this allows us to build every other digital and social initiative on top of that recognizable foundation. Our new app has instant credibility because it is tied to our brand through our IP. In the app, we leverage the NHL's IP to deepen that impact, including data pulls from the NHL to enrich experiences our fans have within the app.
How does IP support commercialization and licensing?
Next to our fans, it is our IP that most allows us to create a sustainable business. It's the framework for our licensing deals with partners like EA Sports or Fanatics. By protecting our rights, we ensure that the revenue generated from jerseys, broadcast rights and digital content stays within the organization to be reinvested back into the team and the fan experience. It's about maintaining the exclusive value of being an "official" part of the Senators family.
How does IP help strengthen the brand and fan experience?
Ultimately, IP is about trust. When a fan sees our official mark, they know they are getting the real story, the best seats and authentic merchandise. In the digital world, where there's a lot of noise, our protected IP acts as a "verified" badge of quality. It allows us to create exclusive environments, such as the unique features in our team app where fans can connect with the team in ways they can't anywhere else.
The final play: why IP matters in sport
In the context of World IP Day, Matthew Perry's perspective shows how IP has been part of the Ottawa Senators' strategy from the very beginning. IP wasn't an afterthought, but a foundation for how the team built and continues to grow its brand.
Focusing early on IP has helped create a strong and recognizable identity that fans connect with on and off the ice. It goes beyond protection and business value, as IP also helps bring fans closer to the team.
It supports authentic experiences and products that allow fans to show their pride. For Sens fans young and old, that connection becomes personal as they wear their team's logos with pride.
In the end, in sports, IP is what turns a team into something fans can truly call their own.
And the game is on! Next in our #WIPD2026 series is an interview with IP lawyer Susan Abramovitch that highlights how IP supports athlete branding, sponsorships and risk management, while addressing emerging challenges such as digital content and AI-generated likenesses.
Check out all the articles in the #WIPD2026 series: