A legal battle has emerged in Germany as a tech startup from Jena seeks to modernize the way table tennis is tracked, and displayed. The conflict pits the ambition of digital innovation against the established governance of the sport’s national authority, raising broader questions about data access and the digital transformation of traditional athletics.
At the center of the dispute is Janova, a Jena-based startup that argues that score displays in the 21st century should be digital. The company has filed a lawsuit against the Deutscher Tischtennis-Bund e.V. (DTTB), the German Table Tennis Federation, after failing to reach an agreement regarding the integration of digital solutions into official competition.
The legal action, filed at the Landgericht Berlin II, focuses on the startup’s demand for access to central game operation data and the necessary interfaces. According to the company, these technical assets are essential for the implementation of digital solutions within the official table tennis match environment.
The Conflict Over Digital Integration
The tension stems from a fundamental disagreement over how the sport should evolve. Janova views the digitization of scorekeeping and match tracking as a necessary step forward for the game. However, the Deutscher Tischtennis-Bund has not shared this enthusiasm, leading to the current legal impasse.
For startups like Janova, access to official data interfaces is the “oxygen” required to build functional apps and hardware. Without these interfaces, third-party developers cannot sync their digital displays with official match records in real-time, limiting the utility of their technology for referees, players, and spectators.
Key Stakes in the Lawsuit
The outcome of this case could have significant implications for how sports federations manage their data. The primary points of contention include:
- Data Sovereignty: Whether the DTTB has the exclusive right to control all game operation data or if it must provide access to third-party innovators.
- Technical Interfaces: The requirement for the federation to provide the digital “hooks” (APIs) necessary for external software to function within official play.
- Modernization of Sport: The balance between maintaining traditional sporting standards and adopting 21st-century digital displays.
Impact on the Table Tennis Ecosystem
The dispute highlights a growing trend where “SportTech” startups clash with legacy organizations. While the DTTB maintains its current systems, the push for digital scoring is driven by a desire for greater accuracy, better spectator engagement, and more efficient data collection.
If Janova succeeds in its legal challenge, it could set a precedent for other digital service providers seeking to enter the official sporting market in Germany. This would potentially open the door for a wider array of digital tools to be used in official competitions, moving away from manual scoreboards toward integrated digital ecosystems.
What Happens Next
The case is now in the hands of the Berlin court. The legal process will determine whether the Deutscher Tischtennis-Bund is obligated to grant Janova access to the requested data and interfaces. As the proceedings continue, the sports and tech communities will be watching to see if the court prioritizes the federation’s control over its data or the startup’s push for digital modernization.
The next official checkpoint will be the court’s ruling or the scheduling of further hearings at the Landgericht Berlin II regarding the access to central game operation data.
We invite our readers to share their thoughts on the digitalization of sports in the comments below. Do you believe sports federations should be required to open their data to startups?
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