Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons , is participating in the Online Meeting on “Closing the Gender Gap in IP”, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization – WIPO
Sorin Mierlea , President of InfoCons , is participating today, 30 June 2026, in the online meeting “Closing the Gender Gap in IP: Women in Sports and IP”, organized by the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and held via Zoom within the framework of the Committee on Development and Intellectual Property (CDIP).
This year’s event brings together women professionals from across the sports sector to discuss the role of intellectual property in supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, branding, inclusion, and leadership. The meeting provides an international platform for sharing experiences and best practices while highlighting how intellectual property can help strengthen women’s participation and leadership in the sports industry.
InfoCons’ participation in this international event reaffirms the organization’s long-standing commitment to promoting respect for intellectual property rights and supporting international initiatives that encourage innovation, creativity, fair competition, and consumer protection.
In today’s global economy, where trademarks, patents, copyrights, industrial designs, and geographical indications have become strategic assets, intellectual property plays a fundamental role in fostering innovation, encouraging investment, and supporting sustainable economic development. At the same time, effective intellectual property protection helps consumers identify authentic products and services while contributing to a transparent and trustworthy marketplace.
The online meeting organized by WIPO aims to provide an opportunity for women professionals working in the sports sector to exchange experiences and perspectives on the importance of intellectual property throughout their professional careers. Participants will explore how intellectual property contributes to protecting innovation, building strong brands, developing successful businesses, and promoting equal opportunities within the sports industry.
The session also highlights the growing importance of intellectual property as a driver of diversity, inclusion, and female leadership in sport, while encouraging dialogue among experts from different regions of the world.
The event opens with welcoming remarks delivered by Ms. Lisa Jorgenson, Deputy Director General of the Patents and Technology Sector at WIPO.
The meeting is moderated by H.E. Ms. Anita Pipan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations Office and other international organizations in Geneva.
The program features presentations from internationally recognized women professionals representing different sectors of the global sports industry:
- Ms. Navalayo Osembo-Ombati, Director of Africa at On (Kenya);
- Ms. Chantal Epp, Founder of ClicknClear (United Kingdom);
- Ms. Chenlin Zhu, Brand Legal Director at ANTA Sports Products (China);
- Ms. Bianca Gama Pena, Entrepreneur and Founder of the eMuseum of Sports (Brazil).
Each speaker shares practical experience on how intellectual property supports innovation, entrepreneurship, brand development, and the creation of successful projects with social and economic impact within the sports sector.
The presentations are followed by a panel discussion and an interactive question-and-answer session, providing all participants with the opportunity to exchange ideas, share experiences, and contribute to discussions on the future of intellectual property in sport.
The meeting concludes with closing remarks delivered by Ms. Fei Jiao, Counsellor at the Development Agenda Coordination Division of WIPO.
Intellectual Property – A Key Driver of Innovation and Consumer Protection
Intellectual property is one of the fundamental pillars of today’s knowledge-based economy. Increasingly, the value of companies is determined not only by their physical assets but also by their intangible assets, including trademarks, patents, industrial designs, copyrights, trade secrets, and geographical indications.
Protecting intellectual property encourages creativity, research, innovation, and investment while enabling inventors, creators, researchers, and businesses to benefit from their work within a secure legal framework.
From a consumer perspective, intellectual property plays an equally important role. It helps consumers distinguish authentic products from counterfeit ones, supports product quality and safety, and strengthens confidence in the marketplace.
Respect for intellectual property rights also promotes fair competition and protects the investments made by businesses in research, development, product quality, and technological innovation.
Within the sports sector, intellectual property has become increasingly important, as trademarks, innovative equipment, digital technologies, broadcasting rights, merchandising, and branding represent essential components of a rapidly evolving global industry.
About the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations, dedicated to developing a balanced and effective international intellectual property system that encourages innovation and creativity for the benefit of society worldwide.
Established in 1967 and headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, WIPO currently has 193 Member States, making it one of the world’s leading international organizations in the field of intellectual property.
The Organization administers numerous international treaties covering patents, trademarks, industrial designs, copyrights, and other forms of intellectual property while providing global services to inventors, creators, researchers, businesses, universities, and public institutions.
Beyond its normative activities, WIPO promotes innovation, technology transfer, capacity building, education, and international cooperation, supporting governments and stakeholders in developing modern intellectual property policies that contribute to sustainable economic growth.
The Organization also facilitates dialogue among governments, international organizations, academia, the private sector, and civil society, encouraging the exchange of knowledge and best practices in response to emerging global challenges.
InfoCons’ International Commitment to Intellectual Property
InfoCons is a member of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO). This official recognition places Romania among the organizations contributing to the global dialogue on intellectual property, with InfoCons being the only consumer protection organization in Romania accredited to this international forum.
Through its participation in WIPO meetings, consultations, and working activities, InfoCons actively contributes to promoting consumer interests within international discussions on intellectual property while supporting initiatives that encourage innovation, strengthen respect for intellectual property rights, and combat counterfeiting.
InfoCons is also an active member of the EUIPO Observatory – the European Union Intellectual Property Office, where it plays an important role within the Civil Society Working Group of the European Observatory on Infringements of Intellectual Property Rights. This involvement demonstrates InfoCons’ ongoing commitment to addressing intellectual property rights infringements at the European level.
Through its participation in the Observatory’s activities, InfoCons contributes to projects aimed at combating counterfeiting and piracy, promoting intellectual property education, and increasing consumer awareness of the impact that counterfeit products can have on health, safety, and the economy.
At the national level, InfoCons has been a member since 2006 of the Intellectual Property Working Group, coordinated by the Public Ministry attached to the High Court of Cassation and Justice of Romania.
This long-standing involvement reflects the organization’s continuous commitment to strengthening cooperation between public authorities, civil society organizations, and the private sector in the field of intellectual property protection.
International Cooperation for Innovation and Sustainable Development
Events such as the “Closing the Gender Gap in IP: Women in Sports and IP” online meeting demonstrate that intellectual property extends far beyond legal protection. It is a strategic instrument for economic development, innovation, entrepreneurship, and social inclusion.
They also underline the importance of international cooperation in addressing the challenges created by digital transformation, technological progress, and increasingly interconnected global markets.
Bringing together experts from different continents enables the exchange of valuable experiences and the identification of successful practices that can be adapted across different economic and social environments.
For InfoCons, participation in international initiatives of this kind represents another opportunity to support dialogue on consumer protection and intellectual property while promoting the importance of accurate, reliable, and accessible information.
Through its active involvement in international and European intellectual property organizations, InfoCons continues to contribute to the development of modern public policies, the promotion of innovation, and the strengthening of a culture that respects intellectual property rights for the benefit of consumers, creators, innovators, and society as a whole.
Signature : InfoCons Consumer Protection and Intellectual Property Department