SPORTS BODIES URGED TO USE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY TO COMBAT PIRACY
DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA
Sports institutions, federations and associations in Tanzania have been urged to make greater use of intellectual property rights to combat piracy and protect creative works and commercial interests within the country’s sports industry.
The call was made on Tuesday, October 6, 2026, by the Chief Executive Officer of the Business Registrations and Licensing Agency (BRELA), Godfrey Nyaisa, while opening a special workshop for sports stakeholders in Dar es Salaam.
Nyaisa said greater awareness and effective use of intellectual property protection could help curb piracy while creating new opportunities for sports organisations, athletes and other stakeholders to benefit from their creative and commercial assets.
He said there was no reason why counterfeit sports merchandise, including jerseys, scarves, badges and club flags, should continue to be sold around football stadiums during matches or in major commercial areas such as Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam.
“In principle, I see no reason why we should fail to control counterfeit jerseys, scarves, badges and flags of sports clubs being sold around football grounds during matches or even in major markets such as Kariakoo in Dar es Salaam,” Nyaisa said.
He said combating such practices required stronger use of intellectual property rights, supported by relevant government institutions and the sports stakeholders themselves.
Nyaisa also raised concerns over the commercial use of images of athletes who have contracts with sports clubs or institutions, stressing that such images should not be used for commercial purposes without appropriate agreements with the clubs or organisations to which the athletes are contracted.
He said sports stakeholders needed to better understand how intellectual property could be protected and strategically used to create value and support the growth of the industry.
Speaking at the workshop, Thadeus Almas, a Legal Officer with the National Sports Council of Tanzania (BMT), who represented the Council’s Chief Executive Officer, Neema Msitha, described the initiative as important for the development of the country’s sports sector.
He said BMT would continue working closely with BRELA to ensure that the knowledge gained by sports stakeholders translated into practical measures that could strengthen the industry and enhance the standing of clubs, federations and sports associations.
Almas also challenged sports federations and associations to ensure that the sector benefits more from commercial partnerships, particularly with sports betting companies.
“There are currently many sports betting companies, but how much does the sports sector benefit from them? What benefits do our clubs receive? This is the time for our federations to ensure that we benefit from these companies,” he said.
He added that sports authorities should work with commercial partners to establish agreements that ensure clubs and athletes receive appropriate benefits while contributing to the broader development of the sports industry.
“We, as the Council, will continue working closely with BRELA to ensure this knowledge reaches sports federations and associations across the country and that athletes benefit from their innovations,” Almas said.
The one-day workshop organised by BRELA brought together representatives from various sports institutions, including the National Sports Council of Tanzania, the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF), the Fair Competition Commission (FCC) and the Copyright Society of Tanzania (COSOTA).
The workshop aimed to strengthen stakeholders’ understanding of intellectual property rights and promote the protection and effective use of innovations generated within the sports sector as a means of supporting the industry and contributing to national development.
