How Does NFL Get Away With This Copyright Bullshit?
 

I don't understand how the NFL can stop radio stations, bars and restaurants from merely using the words 'SUPER BOWL'? If I'm a sports bar and I've having a big promotion built around watching the Super Bowl or I'm a radio station with a contest giving away tickets why can't I use the fucking name - that's the name of the game, I'm not stealing from the NFL, I'm describing something, merely using the fucking name the NFL wants people to know its' championship game by. I realize I can't organize a football game or any event and call it the 'Super Bowl' or I can't make t-shirts or other merchandise and slap 'Super Bowl' on it but it seems nuts that I can't even mention the name. Listen to the radio, it's filled with ads about 'The Big Game', 'The Ultimate Game' - this reminds me of the Playboy vs Terri Welles case, which she won ultimately. If I'm in business and I want to give away a Suburban SUV as a prize I can name the vehicle and show a picture of the vehicle in promotional materials. I really think if some business went to court against the NFL they'd win.

i dont know but i still love football :thumbsup

Money talks.

that really sucks

yup it's all about money and people fear the NFL

that's why it costs millions for a 30 second commercial

If you were giving away a car like you mentioned, I doubt the car company would have a problem with you giving them free publicity. Unless of course they did not approve of the promotion, Like whoever runs over the most kitties wins a Ford Navigator.
Now the NFL pretty much has every single right to police its trademarks, and often if a company does not constantly enforce them and allows them to become "public" they can loose it. It damn near happened to Xerox when everyone was reffering to any photocopy as a Xerox. Xerox had to really start getting on everyones ass about using the term.

I think it's a trademark issue, not copyright.

ya now it is Xerox who???? great move on their part.

Well try to find another company listed as a verb in the dictionary :winkwink:

Actually they aint doing bad.
Company Type Public (NYSE: XRX)
Fiscal Year-End December
2003 Sales (mil.) $14,704.0
1-Year Sales Growth (7.2%)
2003 Net Income (mil.) $360.0
1-Year Net Income Growth 295.6%
2003 Employees 61,100
1-Year Employee Growth (9.9%)

Plus their stake in Fuji film, and at #130 in the fortune 500 I can honestly say they aint starving.

I hate that shit too.....on my way to work I drive past The Orleans Casino and on the billboard in HUGE letters it says....

BIG GAME party.

They are now one of those companies that are only known by the people like yourself
how gives a shit. What company if given the choice would not want to be a household
name. Coke and Pepsi spend millions and would give a left nut, you don't see them trying to have people call it soda when they talk .Nor are they afraid that by use of the name it will become a common term My grand mother for years called her refrigerator the Frigidaire.

Do you know what they are talking about or did you figure it was another game?
I really do not see what is wrong with it at all.

Coz they have lotsa money at their disposal?

Actually they do care. Coke does not want places calling their drinks cokes unless it does happen to be coca cola.
Not every company depends on typical people knowing their names. In my instance Xerox became to well known for their own good. Now using your words that is like asking would Coca Cola care if it lost the exclusive trademarked branded name of Coke? I am pretty sure they would care.

I see you never worked in marketing. I guess Bill is a fool for using Windows as a trade mark cause in your world no common words can be a company's trade mark.

Ahh nevermind, you are missing the point. This is not about common words, its about protecting your trademark.

Pat Riley trademarked 3peat back when the Bulls first did it

I see your point I was just trying to point out that every company is different just as people are. If I was the NFL and it was on TV or radio I would want it called the super bowl every time. Not the big game because If someone else started a league and called it the Big game Then at that time my product would be confused by the common name and it would give credibility to them because I forced everyone to use that term..

Football bores me. I'll be working during "The Big Game" :pimp

yea it's a bunch of BS.. the local radio stations can't even say "Super Bowl"..

the NFL are a bunch of greedy fucks if you ask me..

If I was the DJ I would call it the super Plate or super spoon and have some fun with that.

Guess they didn't reach over the border to our small market cause it doesn't matter here in Canada