I guess this has been the case since 2004, but I was just listening to a classic rock station today, and they said they were served a cease-and-desist order to stop saying Superbowl.

Now, I can KIND OF see Wham-O's objection to calling any kind of flying disc a Frisbee, but if you come up with a name for a football game, and don't let people say the name of it?

WTF NFL? It's not like there is any competition for our attention via another football sporting event that could steal your thunder. Get a grip.

As Johnny Carson would say in his editorial reply as Floyd R. Turbo "This begs the question, SUCK EGGS!"

Here's a link I found on the subject, if you care.
[url]http://askville.amazon.com/radio-stations-allowed-Super-Bowl-BCS-air/AnswerViewer.do?requestId=5964941[/url]

I believe that they're not allowed to use it as part of a station promotion - this is why consumer electronics dealers always say something like "get your new TV in time for the Big Game".

That's how trademark law works; if you don't protect it you don't have it any more ...

It seems to be more than just promotion. They cannot say it at all. Not even "So, who do you think will win the Superbowl?" At least that is how the radio station was spinning it.

If you are going to MAKE money from the use of the phrase, then I can see the point. Other than that, I think it's

Quote:

Sounds like spin to me - I studied this in business law ...

My local station can't say it either. They mentioned it two years ago and have been calling it the "Big Game" ever since and I guess from now on.

Even on TV today I saw a commercial and they said "Big Game" rather than Superbowl.

There are some NFL rules on how many TVs you can play it on, and how large the TVs are.

I think last year or the year before, a church got in trouble because they were advertising that they had a big screen to watch it on and come one, come all.

I thought it was a brilliant way for the church to get members to hang out together, but I guess the NFL thought it was too much of a promotion type thing.

What about Soup Or Bowl said really fast?

the key is promotion.

They get wacky about this crap. Bastet is dead right, too... we went to a superbowl party at a friends house, and because he had 4 TVs setup, he was breaking the "law."

I find their rules truely draconian.