Chapter 10: Intellectual Property Issues in Sports
Major Categories Copyright Trademark Patents
Importance in Sports Law Licensing Trademarks Protecting Trademarks (Enforcement, CLC, e.g.) Licensing Revenues Mascots and Trademarks (Lanham Act) Not mascots, but names “Ambush marketing”
Copyright Consider U.S. Copyright Act of 1976 Federal protection for copyrights—Const. art. I, sec. 8, cl. 8 © Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act of 1998 Infringement
Other Copyright Issues First Sale Doctrine Fair Use Doctrine Fair Use Cases Work Made for Hire (WMFH) “Public Domain”
Trademarks Lanham Act Avoid Likelihood of Confusion Fanciful, Arbitrary, Suggestive, Descriptive, Generic Compare with “service marks” such as McDonald’s Certification Marks
Other Trademark Issues Names Colors Symbols and sounds Method of Acquiring a ™ and ® Immoral, deceptive or scandalous matters may not be trademarked Renewal issues
Continued Generic Names Trade Secrets UTSA Policing Marks Federal Trademark Dilution Act of 1995 Trade Dress Madrid Protocol? (1996)
Patents How different than copyright or trademark? How similar? Relevant to Sports Law?
Other IP Issues Counterfeiting Piracy? Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA, 1999) Cybersquatting Typosquatting WIPO ICANN