The statistics presented in this article relate solely to first publications of French and European patents since 2016, as well as international (PCT) applications published since 2024 that are still likely to enter the European phase. The purpose of the defined corpus is to highlight trends in patent filing activity covering French territory, particularly in the field of sports equipment or accessories covered by International Patent Classification (IPC) A63B.
The search, carried out on 22 April 2026 using the Questel Orbit NG database, identified 8,305 patent families within the A63B classification. This figure may seem significant, but it actually represents only 0.4% of the total number of patent publications across all technical fields.
Let us first look at the most popular sub-fields in sports equipment, using a breakdown of the A63B sub-classifications:
It should first be noted that a single patent family may comprise several classifications and thus apply to several of the sub-categories defined in this graph, which explains why the total number of results for each sub-category far exceeds the total number of analysed patent families (8,305).
Two areas stand out in particular: gymnastics/weight training (notably all equipment intended for physical exercise) and other sports accessories (which include, in particular, targets or goals for ball games, nets, bats, sticks or sports accessories not related to the other sub-categories in the graph). Next come inventions in the field of golf, followed by inventions relating to balls.
The predominance of inventions relating in particular to equipment for physical exercise reflects the increasing popularity of gyms over the last ten years, as well as the impact of the Covid crisis, which has led to an increase in at-home exercise..
To gain a better understanding of the nature of the inventions protected in the field of sports equipment and accessories, one might, for example, examine which Cooperative Patent Classification (CPC) codes are most frequently used in the analysed corpus. Using the CPC rather than the IPC provides greater detail on the nature of the protected inventions, as CPC classifications are more precise than IPC classifications.
The graph above shows that the most frequently used CPC classification is A63B 71/06/22, defined as follows:
Source : Espacenet
This classification therefore covers visual, audio or audiovisual systems designed to entertain, train or motivate a user. This includes, in particular, graphical interfaces found in sports apps and smartwatches.
The rest of the top 5 relates to sports accessories involving wireless data transmission (A63B 2225/50), the monitoring of athletic performances (A63B 24/00/62), the characteristics of materials used for sports equipment and accessories (A63B 2209/00) and, lastly, sports equipment with adjustable dimensions (A63B 2225/09).
These results confirm the sustained growth of “data” in the field of sport and the rise of performance measurement systems during sporting activities, including at amateur level.
To conclude this article, two inventions are cited to illustrate the impact of innovation on sporting practice.
The first invention relates to the detection of line faults in tennis. This computerised system to assist umpires was developed in major tennis tournaments during the 2000s under the name Hawk-Eye. Looking closely at the CPC classification, we see that a specific code exists for inventions relating to the automatic detection of line faults in tennis: A63B 2017/0611.
Source : Espacenet
Below is a timeline of the earliest filings in this classification:
The earliest invention relating to the automatic detection of line faults in tennis is US Patent No. 3,415,517 A, filed on 18 October 1965 by Henry Kelvin Krist (see Figure 1 and the main claim below).
Lastly, as we approach the 2026 FIFA World Cup (11 June to 19 July 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico), let us look at an example of innovation in the manufacture of footballs with European patent EP 3 067 100 B1, filed by Adidas on 9 March 2016 and granted on 19 June 2019.
Football match balls, once made from hand-stitched leather panels, are now most often manufactured using fully automated processes, with panels bonded together using hot glue to ensure greater durability, as in the case of patent EP 3 067 100 B1. Adidas has been the official supplier of match balls for the FIFA World Cup since 1970 (which was also held in Mexico). The ball for the 2026 tournament has been the subject of several international designs registered by Adidas on 8 October 2024 (see illustrations of design D241148-004 below).
Whilst sports are clearly not the main focus of recent patent applications, this article demonstrates that the sector remains active and is keeping pace with societal trends. Sports and performance measurement are part of daily life for many people, and this is reflected in patent activity related to equipment and accessories that enable increasingly advanced and connected sporting activities. Innovations in the field of sports also help with the refereeing of sporting events and make it easier to play the game through more modern equipment. Regimbeau and its teams wish you all an athletic and innovative year in 2026!
