I remember an article a few years back where the NFL sued owners of webpages that used terms like 'Super Bowl' and 'Superbowl' to advertise their services in areas that were hosting the big game. Does anyone know the legalities of this and is it still against the law? Thanks - Joe
The cases you're referring to focused on the use of "Super Bowl" in marketing a product/service as somehow officially licensed or affiliated with the Super Bowl. There is a fine line--you can sell tickets or note that your business is located near a particular site, for example. You can't market in a way that would suggest any kind of affiliation with the venue or event, unless you've secured the rights to do so.
Thanks for the reply. I assume this would be the same for any of the other organized sporting associations? As long as the page has a disclaimer (That is obviously displayed), you can mention one of the events on your page or even in your domain name?
You're correct--basically any sports venue will have at least a use trademark if not a formally registered mark in their name. You can mention the events in your Web page, but actually using it in the domain name would probably not be allowed. If you're really set on using it, then I'd consult with a good intellectual property lawyer with specific experience in this area.