On 27 April 2026, the event celebrating World Intellectual Property Day 2026 took place at the InterContinental Athénée Palace Bucharest. Held under the theme “IP and Sports: Ready, Set, Innovate”, this year’s edition highlighted the strong connection between intellectual property and sport — two fields which, as the World Intellectual Property Organization itself has noted, are both driven by creativity, innovation and the recognition of talent.
Bringing together leading representatives of public authorities, high-ranking government officials, key institutional partners and private sector stakeholders, the event stood out as a landmark forum for dialogue on some of the most relevant developments and challenges in the field.
Organised within the framework of the Working Group on Intellectual Property Issues (GLPPI), under the coordination of the Public Ministry attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice and the Government of Romania, this year’s edition also had a strong international dimension, being held in partnership with the United States Department of Justice – International Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property (ICHIP). Against the backdrop of this year’s global theme, discussions explored the ways in which innovation, branding and rights protection continue to shape the sports industry and its wider ecosystem. The event also benefited from the perspective of a prominent representative of the sports world, Adrian Mutu, whose presence added valuable insight to the discussions.
In this distinguished setting, our colleague Magda Irimia, acting as co-host of the event, Vice-President of GLPPI, and moderator of the panel “IP Rights in the Broadcasting Ecosystem”, addressed one of the most pressing issues currently facing the industry: the protection of sports content against unlawful exploitation in the digital environment.
Her intervention focused on the legal tools currently available to block illegal content, while also underscoring the practical limits of existing mechanisms in a sector where timing is critical. In the case of live sports broadcasting, the effectiveness of legal protection depends directly on the speed of intervention: a remedy applied too late is often no longer capable of protecting the real value of the content. It was also underlined that often times illegal transmissions are associated with harmful online behavior (fraud, malware, dubious payment methods), jeopardizing the cybersecurity of the very clients of such illegal streams.
In a context where technology is constantly evolving and illegal streaming itself benefits from increasingly sophisticated methods, one of the key messages emerging from the discussion was the need to consider updating the legislative framework so that it can enable the effective and swift blocking of illegal content, ensuring that the protection of rights can genuinely respond to the commercial realities of live broadcasting and to the pace at which infringing content is disseminated.
We would also like to extend our sincere thanks to Andrei-Simion Ijac, Director General of ORDA, who awarded Diplomas of Excellence as a mark of distinguished appreciation and gratitude for the constant support, commitment and fruitful collaboration dedicated to the protection and promotion of intellectual property rights. These distinctions were granted to a number of public and private entities, including the U.S. Embassy in Romania, the Chancellery of the Prime Minister, the Public Ministry attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice, the General Inspectorate of the Romanian Police, the Scientific Association of Intellectual Property Law, InfoCons – Consumer Protection Organisation and Promoter of Programmes and Strategies, Turcu & Turcu Law Office, LawNexus, and the National Chamber of Industrial Property Attorneys of Romania (CNCPIR).
This recognition is a reflection of the continuous hard work and dedication of our colleague, Magda Irimia.
The event was preceded by a working meeting focused on the administrative procedure for issuing orders against illegal content, in the application of Regulation (EU) 2022/2065 (DSA) and Law no. 50/2024, as well as on the need for a dynamic mechanism adapted to live events, in line with European Commission Recommendation C(2023) 2853 and its effects Assessment issued by the EU Commission in November 2025. Details can be found at https://orda.ro/reuniune-de-lucru-consacrata-combaterii-pirateriei-online-a-evenimentelor-transmise-in-direct-si-implementarii-mecanismului-administrativ-de-blocare-a-continutului-ilegal-in-romania/.
The meeting also addressed a legislative project currently under preparation at Government level, aimed at adding an annex to Law no. 50/2024 for the designation of the relevant authorities within the meaning of Article 4 and for the implementation of Articles 7–9. The applicable working procedure is expected to be finalized through a Government Decision.
Magda was once again present and actively involved in this working group, consolidating her contribution to discussions on a topic of growing importance for the effective protection of intellectual property rights in the digital environment.
