Technology and IP in the Opening Ceremony Looks for Milano Cortina 2026

DecathaLAW Series 2026: Article 1

The Olympic Games’ intellectual properties (“Olympic Properties”) are broadly protected worldwide, including the rings symbol, mascots, names (e.g., “Milano Cortina 2026”), mottos, graphics, event designs, music and audiovisual works, etc., primarily using trademarks and copyrights. The owner of the Olympic Properties is The International Olympic Committee (“IOC”). Use of the Olympic Properties is restricted to authorized partners or licensees of the IOC under the Olympic Charter, the Nairobi Treaty, and national law. Italy has also enacted special measures against “ambush marketing.” For example, inclusion of the use of the rings symbol or logo on uniforms are legally reserved for licensed parties. Other examples of licensed authorized use of the Olympic Properties include the use of the name, rings symbol, music, images, etc., in media and advertising.

On February 6, 2026, the Opening Ceremony will take place at Milan’s San Siro Stadium as part of a multi-site production by Balich Wonder Studio, with parallel activations and dual Olympic cauldrons in Milan and Cortina. Rehearsals have involved more than 1,200 volunteer performers, including students from La Scala’s academy, reflecting a production that combines couture aesthetics with technically demanding choreography.

Team Italia by EA7 Emporio Armani

Giorgio Armani’s EA7 line unveiled milky-white parade and village wear kits for Team Italia, featuring three-dimensional “ITALIA” embroidery and alpine-inspired minimalism. The wardrobe includes down outerwear, thermal layers, and waterproof ski jackets and pants made with Protectum7 technical fabric, which emphasizes performance over ornamentation. Armani’s public disclosures focus on aesthetics and functional attributes of the clothing, but do not list specific patents, most likely because the underlying fabric technology is supplier-owned or is protected as trade secrets rather than company-owned patents.

Armani’s IP strategy primarily relies on trademarks and design rights, supported by an extensive trademark portfolio for products in winter sports and cold weather, including EA7, EA7 EMPORIO ARMANI, and ARMANI. These registrations govern visual identity and commercial use, a critical control in a globally broadcast event.

Many moisture-permeable waterproof membranes used in performance apparel are patented by materials manufacturers (e.g., Toray’s plant-derived polyurethane membrane, which is patent pending US2023/0002963 ), and licensed through supply chains for inclusion into garments of different brands that are often premiered at the Olympic games.

Team USA by Ralph Lauren

For 2026, Ralph Lauren’s Opening Ceremony uniform features a winter-white wool toggle coat, flag intarsia turtleneck, and tailored trousers, while the Closing Ceremony uniform adopts a retro, ski-inspired color-blocked puffer. Both are proudly manufactured in the United States, with the broader 2026 collection extending Americana palette across village wear and accessories.

Ralph Lauren has a documented history of patent-backed textile innovation for the Games, including “Intelligent Insulation,” a temperature-responsive fabric system developed with Skyscrape for Beijing 2022 that adapts to ambient cold without batteries. Even when not emphasized in current marketing, the company’s patenting cadence – ranging from vented apparel systems (US7,954,173) to advanced garment dyeing methods (US12,378,726) – reflect a sustained, portfolio-driven IP strategy.

Trademark protection reinforces Ralph Lauren’s marketing approach, with registrations for RALPH LAUREN and related marks held through PRL USA Holdings controlling logos, silhouettes, and graphic elements amplified through global media. These marks, of course, are strongly promoted in the Olympic Games and are often made so large that global audiences are able to readily identify the marks being worn by athletes.

Costumes, Torch, and the IP Stakes of the Opening Ceremony

Beyond national uniforms, the Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony incorporates large-scale performance costumes, volunteer apparel, and ceremonial objects engineered for mobility, thermal regulation, and broadcast visibility. Thousands of garments have been produced for dancers and volunteers, prioritizing stretch, breathability, insulation, and high-contrast coloration. Rehearsal reports from tents near San Siro describe tailors finishing bright, high-contrast designs while more than a thousand rehearse for extended periods in cold conditions. These costumes frequently rely on digitally printed textiles and multilayer constructions, with much of the underlying utility intellectual property, such as patents, held by textile manufacturers rather than the fashion designers or being an Olympic Property.

Uniforms worn by volunteers, workforce members, and torchbearers of the Opening Ceremony were developed with Salomon, a Premium Partner. The uniforms are engineered to perform across both urban and alpine environments. Public communications emphasize durability, comfort, and visibility rather than named textile innovations. Salomon’s patent activity is concentrated primarily in sports equipment, such as ski systems (EP4591749) and footwear (US2025/0049174), supplemented by apparel-adjacent technologies, such as NSO technology. NSO integrates mineral-based metal oxides and is protected by patents and patent applications covering both the mineral composition and body-mapping placement strategy.

The Olympic torch itself, Essential, designed by Carlo Ratti Associati with Cavagna Group, is constructed from recycled aluminum and brass, refillable up to ten times, and fueled by bio-LPG. The torch’s exposed high-performance burner, visible through a vertical slit, and light-responsive PVD finish exemplify sustainable engineering and symbolic design.

Because the Opening Ceremony is among the most photographed events in the world, robust IP protection is critical. Trademarks, design rights (e.g., design patents), copyrights, and utility patents help preserve exclusivity, deter fast-fashion copying, manage licensing and merchandising, and safeguard national symbolism. [13] In many cases, new technologies are developed for and launched at the Olympic Games, and those technologies are then adopted into consumer products.

As delegations enter San Siro, the ceremony will present a coordinated intellectual property framework, including technical costumes, engineered volunteer uniforms, and a torch that turns sustainability into visual impact, thereby shaping how nations and commercial enterprises present themselves on the global stage.

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