March Madness is upon us and entrepreneurs, technology stat-ups, and brand owners seeking trademark registation in the United States may review the NCAA aggressive trademark registation and enforcement strategy as an example of best practices in protecting valuable branding assets in the United States. With Selection Sunday of the 2020 NCAA Basketball Tournament set at March 15, 2020, also famously known as March Madness®, The trademark attorneys for the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) are now busy starting enforcement of the organization’s trademark registration worldwide as potential trademark infringers attempt to piggyback on its famous portfolio of trademarks registrations such as MARCH MADNESS® (U.S. Reg. No. 2485443), NCAA SWEET SIXTEEN® (U.S. Reg. No. 5423610) and THE ROAD TO THE FINAL FOUR® (U.S. Reg. No 5059869), filed in connection with Entertainment Services in International Class 041.
NCAA TRADEMARK REGISTRATION IN US PATENT AND TRADEMARK OFFICE
Examining NCAA Trademark Registration filings in the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), one can see a plethora of famous trademarks, slogans and some logos filed by the NCAA in connection with its various lines of business, including entertainment services and merchandising.
(click on TSDR link in chart to view public record of the trademark registation on USPTO Trademark Database)
The NCAA is highly proactive with its brand protection, trademark registration, and infringement enforcement strategy. On its website, the NCAA publishes it NCAA Trademark Protection Program where it states, “The NCAA must be vigilant against the unauthorized use of its trademarks. In conjunction with its championships, the NCAA has developed licensing and marketing programs that make use of the NCAA’s trademarks and championships marks. Such programs are carefully controlled and aggressively protected to be consistent with the purposes and objectives of the NCAA, its member institutions and conferences and higher education.”
The NCAA also publishes an in-depth NCAA Trademark Quick Reference Guide which includes information about proper use of its trademarks, under license and otherwise permitted, on signage, advertising, press releases, footer information, and any other place trademarks may be used or referenced in promotional or material materials.
Finally, the organizations lists its most famous NCAA trademark registration filings on its website and explicitly states that approval must be granted before the use of any of NCAA trademark registration or logo:
| NCAA Trademarks |
|---|
| 68 TEAMS, ONE DREAM® |
| And Then There Were Four® |
| Beyond the Baseline® |
| Champions Play Here® |
| Champions Win Here™ |
| College Cup® |
| 1College World Series® |
| CWS™ |
| Dribble™ |
| Eight at the Plate™ |
| Elite 8® |
| Elite Eight® |
| Elite 90™ |
| Experience It Live™ |
| F4™ |
| Final 4® |
| Final Four® |
| Final Four Friday® |
| First Four® |
| Four It All™ |
| Frozen Four® |
| History Happens Here® |
| It’s More Than Three Games® |
| Make it Yours® |
| March Madness® |
| March to the Madness™ |
| March Mayhem™ |
| Midnight Madness® |
| Men’s College Cup® |
| Men’s Elite Eight® |
| Men’s Frozen Four® |
| National Collegiate Athletic Association® |
| National Collegiate Championships® |
| NCAA® |
| NCAA After The Game® |
| NCAA Basketball® |
| NCAA Championships® |
| NCAA Fast Break® |
| NCAA Hall of Champions® |
| NCAA Photos® |
| NCAA Sweet 16® |
| NCAA Sweet Sixteen® |
| NCAA Team Works™ |
| NCAA Ticket Exchange® |
| Next Generation Sunday® |
| Pinnacle of Fitness® |
| Protect the Game® |
| Read to the Final Four® |
| Road to the Final Four® |
| Selection Sunday® |
| Share The Experience™ |
| Stagg Bowl® |
| The Big Dance® |
| The Final Four® |
| The Greatest Show on Dirt® |
| The NCAA Experience® |
| The Pinnacle Awaits® |
| The Road Ends Here® |
| The Road Starts Here® |
| The Road to Atlanta™ |
| The Road to Frisco™ |
| The Road to Indianapolis® |
| The Road to Minneapolis™ |
| The Road to New Orleans™ |
| The Road to Omaha® |
| The Road to Tampa Bay™ |
| The Road to the Final Four® |
| Women’s College Cup® |
| 1Women’s College World Series® |
| Women’s Elite Eight® |
| Women’s Final 4® |
| Women’s Final Four® |
| Women’s Frozen Four® |
Trademark registration and enforcement strategy requires meticulous due diligence on trademark legal issues such as trademark search and clearance, conflict check, trademark registration strategy in the USPTO, and, trademark monitoring and enforcement. Consultation with an experienced trademark attorney or trademark law firm in Los Angeles or nationwide can help entrepreneurs plan their due diligence and trademark registation strategy, and plan an effecting trademark monitoring and enforcement protocol that protects the integrity of their trademark portfolio, and puts infringers on legal and practical notice of their trademark rights.
