The NFL has been hyper-aggressive in protecting what it considers its property–the words “Super Bowl”–for years. Casinos in Las Vegas used to advertise their “Super Bowl” parties on the huge marquees fronting gaming properties. Then a few years back the league threatened court action if the term Super Bowl was used and casinos showed the game to casino patrons on screens exceeding a certain size.
Now all the marquees advertise betting lines for “the big game.”
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What?! They don’t want people to gather together in large groups and watch all those advertisements? What morons!
Perhaps it’s only a rumor, but I recall hearing about a month back that the NFL is also looking to claim sole use of “The Big Game,” as well. I wonder what people will call the Super Bowl then? Preferably it should be something along the lines of “That Stupid Football Game Which We Are Legally Obligated Not to Say the Name of.”
Happy Super Jumbo Fun Bowl?
Preferably it should be something along the lines of “That Stupid Football Game Which We Are Legally Obligated Not to Say the Name of.”
We own the term “Football Game.” We invented it. We homesteaded that little corner of intellectual property-land. It’s ours. You’re an IP trespasser, that’s what you are.
Now pay us our royalties, peasant.
(P.S., We own the term “football” too.)
Preferably it should be something along the lines of “That Stupid Football Game Which We Are Legally Obligated Not to Say the Name of.”
We own the term “Football Game.” We invented it. We homesteaded that little corner of intellectual property-land. It’s ours. You’re an IP trespasser, that’s what you are.
Now pay us our royalties, peasant.
(P.S., We own the term “football” too.)
We own the term “the”. We invented it. We homesteaded that little corner of intellectual property-land. It’s ours. You’re an IP trespasser, that’s what you are.
Now pay us our royalties, peasant.
(P.S., We own the term “is” too.)
Cue the IP advocates: “But…. if we don’t have trademark law, how can people possibly communicate? Without the state, there can be no language, no meaning.”
heh yea I’m not opposed to ip law, but I think this goes too far.
The Stupor Bowl? The Soup Bowl? The Pooper Scooper Bowl? The Lily von Schtupe Bowl? (I’m tired…)
There is a simple solution to the ludicrous behavior of the IP Gestapo. Simply, don’t watch. The NFL will drive the game completely into the ground. Unfortunately, the Speech & IP police are on the verge of constraining our 1st Amendment liberty and we must mobilize the defenders of Liberty to educated the ignorant of just how destructible this is to their lives.
I think there should be a simple distinction between the use of IP.
1. Not for Profit up to very meager profit Fan use. Think of grandma knitting a team logo into a gift for a grandson, star trek/wars people making costumes or props. fan web sites devoted to a TV show or video game. These can be good for your brand.
2. people/business out for profit. they might use your trademarks/likeness to increase there profit.
they should be required to have some type of licensing agreement.
I’m confused. Who is “who dat” and how did they come to own the term “Super Bowl”?
Troy Doering,
Unfortunately I don’t think that’s a very good distinction and arguments could be made to equate the two categories for the purpose of stamping out ‘not for profit’ use. Wouldn’t little Jimmy’s demand for official merchandise decrease when his grandma knits him clothing with the official logo on it? What if he doesn’t like the clothing and wants to sell it? How many could he or his grandma sell before they become a ‘for profit’? 1? 5? 10? When fans create their own costumes, props, web sites – whatever, it could be argued that it’s *not* good for your brand because it misrepresents your organisation or detracts from the official merchandise etc etc.
i doubt granny could knit more than 48 items a year (4 a month). So even if she sold each one for a twenty dollar profit she’d be less than a thousand dollars a year. interestingly enough they saw her item at a tailgate, and there was no official merchandise along those lines, but it did give idea’s to the product planners on a entirely new line of merchandise.
Smart company’s keep in communication with customers to refine their product to fit the needs of the customer.
The Chessehead Packers fans wear, was a fan invention.
Re: “P.S., We own the term ‘football’ too.”
I’d like to see them try to enforce *that* in the whole rest of the world (which uses that term to describe what Americans call ‘soccer’)
I did my civic duty an watched my one sport event of the year. (I don’t watch sports). While the game itself seemed OK, the NFL presentation of the game was awful.
Getting back to the issue of so-called intellectual property; it amazes me how IP maximilists seem to believe that they can seize property rights were none existed and to then claim that they (even though they are a private corporations) are somehow entitled to the same police powers of the State to whimsically define what is “right”, what is “wrong”, and to impose “punishment”.
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