WIPO China: Su Super League — Chinese football and the role of IP
从江苏到全国，草根足球热潮正盛。随着苏超联赛日趋成熟，其战略重心已从赛场延伸至知识产权领域。
From the province of Jiangsu and throughout China, the popularity of grassroots soccer has hit fever pitch. As the Su Super League matures, the importance of good strategy extends from the field to IP.
图｜Photo: Getty Images/VCG
江苏省城市足球联赛（JSCL），又称“苏超”，人气飙升。这项赛事始于业余选手在小场馆的地方性比赛，如今已让华东各地球场一票难求。
The Jiangsu Football City League (JSCL), also known as the Su Super League or "Su Chao" in Chinese, has gained astonishing popularity. What began as a modest provincial competition played by amateur players in small venues now sells out stadiums across East China.
据报道，苏超相关帖文在微博浏览量达数百万，在抖音更是高达数十亿。江苏省足协副主席王小湾指出，广泛的公众参与是其成功关键。
Posts about Su Chao matches reportedly rack up millions of views on Weibo and billions on Douyin. One key factor behind its popularity is broad public participation, noted Wang Xiaowan, Vice-President of the Jiangsu Football Association.
这种参与贯穿赛场内外。联赛共有 13 支以江苏各城市命名的队伍。超过 60% 的球员是学生、外卖员、教师等业余爱好者，赛后即回归本职岗位。
This participation happens both on and off the field. The competition features 13 teams named after their respective cities in Jiangsu. More than 60 per cent of players are amateurs from everyday professions, returning to their regular jobs after matches.
江苏各地旅游部门及创作者利用短视频、动画及 AI 内容推广联赛，融入方言、美食及文化遗产。联赛对 UGC 和 AIGC 持开放态度，允许球迷创作的梗图、混剪及地方叙事广泛传播。媒体认为，UGC 与城市幽默元素是联赛快速吸睛的核心。中场休息时的恐龙互动等环节，进一步推高了现场与网络热度。
Tourism departments and creators promote the League through short videos, animation and AI-generated content, blending dialects, food traditions and local heritage. The League adopts an open approach to UGC and AIGC, allowing fan-created memes and narratives to circulate widely. Media reports note that UGC and city-related humor play a central role in its rapid rise. Live interventions, such as dinosaurs entertaining spectators at halftime, further boost stadium appeal and viral hype.
然而，随着联赛影响力突破省界，在强化城市认同与积累商业潜力的同时，知识产权新问题也随之浮现。
Yet as the League's appeal spreads beyond the province, strengthening Jiangsu's urban identity and building commercial potential, new questions arise in relation to IP.
通过知识产权保护江苏省城市足球联赛
Protecting Jiangsu Football City League through IP
这项发端于地方的非职业赛事正迅速积累品牌价值与文化影响力，但其知识产权框架尚未同步跟进。
What started as a regional, non-professional soccer competition is quickly accumulating brand value and cultural influence. At the same time, the Su Super League IP framework has yet to keep pace.
图｜Photo: Getty Images/VCG
超过 6.2 万名球迷现场观看了在南京举办的 2025 年苏超联赛决赛
More than 62,000 fans attended the 2025 Su Super League final in Nanjing
面对关注度激增带来的市场主体涌入，江苏省足协于 2025 年 5 月提交了涵盖赛事名称、标识及吉祥物等核心类别的 20 项商标申请；6 月又提交第二批申请，将保护范围扩展至衍生产品。
The surge in attention brought a rapid influx of market actors. In May 2025, the Jiangsu Football Association filed 20 trademark applications covering core categories like the competition name, identifiers and mascot. A second batch followed in June, extending protection to potential derivative products.
截至发稿，据中国国家知识产权局（CNIPA）数据库显示，协会已就“江苏省城市足球联赛 JIANGSU FOOTBALL CITY LEAGUE"和"JSCL"等核心名称提交注册申请。公开记录显示，"JSCL"商标最早于 2025 年 5 月由江苏省足协提交，其他相关申请尚在待审中。
At the time of writing, CNIPA records show filings for key names such as "Jiangsu Football City League" and "JSCL" by the Association. The earliest "JSCL" application was submitted in May 2025, with others pending.
苏超联赛周边商品
Su Super League merchandise
与此同时，与“苏超”相关的商标申请已超 300 项，反映出围绕该联赛的商标活动活跃，激励众多企业开发周边及文创产品。
Meanwhile, over 300 trademark applications related to "Su Super League" reflect ongoing filing activity, encouraging companies to develop associated merchandise and cultural products.
例如无锡推出的“紫韵足梦”，将宜兴紫砂工艺与足球意象结合。在宜兴知识产权快速保护中心支持下，该外观设计专利仅用五个工作日便获 CNIPA 授权。
One example is the "Purple Dream of Football" from Wuxi, combining Yixing purple clay craftsmanship with soccer imagery. With support from the Yixing IP Rapid Protection Center, its design patent was granted by CNIPA in just five working days.
作为“毛绒玩具礼品之都”，扬州也在苏超热潮中展现了强劲的 IP 变现能力。
As China's "capital of plush toy gifts", Yangzhou has also demonstrated strong capabilities in monetizing IP amid the Su Super League surge.
推广江苏非物质文化遗产
Publicizing Jiangsu's intangible cultural heritage
部分企业在完成苏超主题玩具设计后，迅速进行版权登记以构建自有 IP 组合。扬州市政府早在 2025 年 4 月便出台措施，促进原创 IP 孵化，鼓励非遗元素融入设计，推动文旅融合，形成了政策、创新与市场协同推进的势头。
Some enterprises promptly secured copyright registrations after producing Su Super League-themed toys to build their own IP portfolios. Measures introduced by the Yangzhou government in April 2025 promote original IP incubation, encourage integrating intangible cultural heritage into design, and foster convergence with culture and tourism sectors.
图｜Photo: Getty Images/VCG
2025 年苏超联赛决赛在中国南京奥体中心举行。
The 2025 Su Super League conclusion at Nanjing Olympic Sports Center, China.
苏超涉及的 IP 问题既凸显机遇也揭示挑战。它展示了体育赛事积累品牌价值的速度，也说明了连贯的 IP 战略是将短期热度转化为持久资产的必要前提，即便对于草根赛事亦然。
The IP issues surrounding the Su Super League highlight both opportunities and challenges. They show how quickly sporting events can generate brand value, but also why a coherent IP strategy is necessary to turn short-term popularity into lasting assets – even for grassroots sports.
那么，“苏超”若要从热门赛事发展为经久不衰的城市体育文化品牌，需要哪些 IP 支柱？
So, if the Su Super League is to evolve from a trending competition into a lasting urban sports and cultural brand, what IP pillars will it need?
通过商标推广苏超联赛品牌
Promoting Su Super League's brand through trademarks
名称、标志和口号是体育赛事品牌形象的核心。对苏超而言，联赛名称、标识、球队名称和队徽均是亟需保护的重要资产。
For any sporting event, names, logos and slogans form the core of its brand identity. For the Su Super League, the league name, logo, team names and crests are among the most important assets to protect.
走红期间流传的口号如“比赛第一，友谊第十四”，已成为新兴文化的一部分。若持续获得公众认可，这些表达有望具备商标潜力，成为品牌宝贵要素，支持未来的授权合作与周边开发。
Slogans like "competition first, friendship fourteenth" have become part of the emerging culture. If they continue to gain recognition, they may develop trademark potential, becoming valuable brand elements that support future licensing and merchandising.
通过地理标志保护江苏当地特色美食
Preserving Jiangsu's local delicacies through geographical indications
苏超的魅力源于江苏各城市的鲜明特性。南京盐水鸭、苏州阳澄湖大闸蟹和镇江香醋等地理标志（GI）产品，不仅是地方特产，也是文化象征。
Much of the appeal of the Su Super League stems from the distinctive identities of Jiangsu cities. Products such as Nanjing salted duck, Yangcheng Lake hairy crab and Zhenjiang vinegar are well-known regional specialties and symbols of local culture.
将这些 GI 产品与联赛推广及周边开发相结合，既能强化文化认同，又能为地方品牌创造新市场机遇。
Linking these GI products with the league's promotion and merchandising could strengthen cultural identity while creating new market opportunities for regional brands.
通过专利保护 JSCL 的体育创新成果
Safeguarding JSCL's sports innovations through patents
随着联赛商业化提升，周边设计、智能票务、场馆管理及转播技术等领域的创新，可能涉及外观设计专利或其他技术保护。
As the League becomes increasingly commercialized, innovations in merchandise design, smart ticketing, stadium management and broadcasting technologies may involve design patents or other forms of technical protection.
在数字传播和沉浸式体验日益重要的时代，技术与设计相关的 IP 正为体育赛事开辟新的竞争维度。
In an era where digital dissemination and immersive viewing experiences are crucial, IP relating to technology and design is creating new dimensions of competitiveness for sporting events.
通过版权保护苏超联赛创意内容
Protecting Su Super League's creative content through copyright
苏超的影响力远超赛事本身。围绕赛事涌现出大量创意内容，包括城市海报、宣传视频、社交媒体短片、直播画面及摄影作品。
The influence of the Su Super League extends beyond the matches. A wide range of creative content has emerged, including city-themed posters, promotional videos, social media clips, live broadcast footage and photography.
当地媒体和官方账号通过吉祥物、卡通形象及创意视频扩大互动。随着内容生产规模扩大，版权、许可、共享及收益分配等问题将愈发重要。
Local media and official accounts amplify engagement through mascots and creative videos. As content production scales, questions of copyright, licensing, sharing and revenue allocation will become more significant.
将苏超联赛打造成为经久不衰的体育品牌
Building Su Super League as a lasting sports brand
对于苏超这类城市联赛，有效的 IP 战略并非孤立管理商标、版权和专利，而是需将其整合为协同体系，使地方赛事从网络热点进化为长存品牌。
For a city-based league like Su Chao, an effective IP strategy requires integrating trademarks, copyrights and patents into a mutual system, allowing a local event to evolve from a viral phenomenon into a long-term brand.
关于作者
About the author
叶颖，英国杜伦大学法学院博士，研究兴趣涵盖人工智能与知识产权法、科技法律与政策。她是中国执业知识产权律师，就职于北京惠诚律师事务所（成都分所）。因与南京渊源深厚，她经常前往南京，是一名定期观赛的苏超球迷，亲身体验了联赛的澎湃热情。
Ying Ye holds a PhD from Durham Law School, UK. Her research interests lie in AI and IP law, as well as technology law and policy. Dr. Ye is an IP attorney practicing at Beijing Huicheng Law Firm (Chengdu). She frequently visits Nanjing and has experienced the excitement of the Su Super League first hand as a regular spectator.