Mitch Stabbe is always on the lookout for trademark issues that may arise during the NCAA basketball championships. The use of words and phrases that are commonly associated with games Advertising, promotions, and media coverage. Here is part I of his review. Part II is coming tomorrow.
College sports have undergone many changes over the past few years. Teams who have been in a conference for many years have decided to move to another. This has happened with schools moving from the Big 12 Conference to the Big Ten Conference to the Pac 12 to the Atlantic Coast Conference to the Southeastern Conference. In addition, we are starting to see the consequences of the NCAA finally allowing athletes to monetize the commercial use of their name, images and likenesses, now called “Name, Image and Likeness” (NIL) and previously described as the Right of Publicity.
One thing that has not changed is the NCAA’s hard line against unauthorized uses of FINAL FOUR or its other marks. Broadcasters, publishers, and other businesses should be aware of potential claims that may arise from the use of terms or logos associated with this tournament.
NCAA…
