A family-run company, BODET was founded in Trementines and Cholet, France in 1868. It built its reputation in time measurement and display thanks to its original clock-making expertise in tower clocks, and bell restoration and automation. Over the centuries, BODET expanded this expertise in time management and consolidated the business into four distinct units: BODET Campanaire (1868 – tower clocks), BODET Sport (1968 – scoreboards), BODET Time (1975 – time displays and synchronization systems) and BODET Software (1987 – time and attendance management).
More than 150 years later, BODET now operates in over 110 countries through six European subsidiaries and a network of 300 distributors across the world, making it a leader in time measurement and management across Europe. In 2019, its turnover amounted to 98.1 million euros and the group employed almost 800 employees across the globe.
Innovation across generations
Throughout the centuries, the BODET Group has remained an independent and family-run company: first by Paul, its founder, then Emmanuel, Pierre, Jean-Pierre and Pascal Bodet. They each made their mark on the business by bringing new approaches. Innovation has been the driving force of the company: since its inception, the BODET Group has launched no less than 788 new products.
The common denominator has remained time, but throughout the years, the products have moved into the electronic, and then digital era. BODET expanded into new areas such as industrial and synchronized clock-making, timing in team sports or time management in business settings. Since 1997, it has been ISO 9001 certified for all its activities and each year, the group invests 10% of its revenue in Research & Development across all of its activities.
Evidently, it is crucial for BODET to develop new technologies that evolve with the times, but it also equally key for the group to properly translate those technologies into a branding system that can be understood and valued by its consumers. The inventions and the brands by which they are represented to the public each require independent IP protections.
IP protection usually involves a registration process that varies depending on the object of protection, such as a brand, design, or invention, as well as the territories of the desired registration. Therefore, expanding a company worldwide inevitably relates to acquiring protection for its IP assets in each country where an intended or potential market is located.
Some of BODET’s inventions have been and still are subject to patenting, a legal procedure that grants the owner of an invention exclusive rights over it. The group have also made use of trademark registration for almost 100 trademarks, the most appropriate instrument in order to protect a company’s brands, image, services, or products.
For instance, this has been the case for the BODET Sport brand, which provides display solutions for team sports, with a particular emphasis on basketball, including scoreboards of all sizes, video screens and cubes, sports display software and touchscreen keyboards.
How does the WIPO Madrid System help BODET protect its brands worldwide?
Although a strong player on the French market, the group has also geared a considerable part of its strategy abroad: 23% of its solutions are destined to be exported. This number grows even higher for some of its business units such as BODET Sport, which exports around 40% of its solutions across the globe. The market on which BODET operates is a competitive one and international trademark registrations allow the group to position itself with a definite credibility while protecting its innovative products.
One important element for the globalization of its target markets is having a solid IP portfolio. The second important element to achieving success at an international level is knowing how to properly protect this IP portfolio in different countries.
By registering its trademarks through the Madrid System BODET is able to protect them in over 120 countries, covering over 80% of world trade. There is also potential for expansion, as new countries become members. In essence, international registrations under the Madrid System allow businesses to be flexible and adapt their protection to their business development strategy.
With an extensive emphasis on export, it is crucial for BODET to be able to make the necessary changes to its international registrations as effortlessly as possible. Under the Madrid System, the group has been able to carry out subsequent designations, limitations as well as renewals to fit changing business needs through one centralized structure. Taking the convenience even further, these transactions can also be carried out online through the WIPO IP Portal. Jean-Pierre Audinet, Director General BODET Sport & Time says he is "proud to establish the company in such an international system, which support our export trade success".
BODET and the WIPO Madrid System in practice
With the WIPO Global Brand Database it is possible to explore the company’s almost 100 trademark applications or registrations worldwide, from its first registration under the Madrid System in 1988 to one of the most recent: VIDEOSPORT.
VIDEOSPORT (WIPO Madrid International Registration No. 1211986)
A few years ago, BODET Sport developed VIDEOSPORT, a software that manages the scoring and timing of sports events in real time, on screens and scoreboards. The solution has been designed to allow users to customize the scoring display to match the sport and the level of play, while also being able to play ads from brands and sponsors, all within one system.
VIDEOSPORT is certified by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), meaning that is approved for high level competition. The solution has been used in a number of professional competitions, including the 2019 FIBA Women’s EuroBasket in Belgrade, Serbia and the 2021 preparatory basketball game France vs. Spain for the Olympic Games, in the Paris-Bercy Accor Arena, France – one of the biggest sporting venues in Europe.
After rebranding its logo to harmonize its solutions offering, VIDEOSPORT became the 1.6 millionth mark registered under the Madrid System in 2021.
Innovating to keep up with changing times
With 150 years of activity under its belt, the BODET Group has understood how to stay relevant throughout time and allowed its solutions offering to evolve in order to grow its user base. It therefore only knows too well the importance of protecting its valuable intangible assets, especially when it comes to trademarks. With 19 international registrations covering 47 member countries/regions around the world, the WIPO Madrid System supports the BODET Group in safeguarding its reputation in providing quality time measurement and management solutions globally.
