Chicago Business Litigation Lawyer Blog
“March Madness” is a popular term used to refer to the basketball tournament run by the National College Athletic Association (N.C.A.A.) every year in March, but it’s not an accident that everyone thinks of college basketball when they think of March Madness. It’s the result of the N.C.A.A. having trademarked the name, along with strategic branding, and they are very proactive about protecting that brand, even if it means suing a urology practice over the phrase “Vasectomy Mayhem”.
The urology practice, Virginia Urology, registered the term “Vasectomy Mayhem” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and proceeded to launch an ad campaign linking their practice to the March Madness basketball tournaments. Their ads featured a doctor, in scrubs and with a basketball, claiming if men wanted an excuse to stay home and watch basketball all weekend, they could do so while recovering from their vasectomy.
The N.C.A.A. sued the urology practice, claiming the term “Vasectomy Mayhem” was too similar to “March Madness”, and as a result, might cause confusion and dilute the value of their brand. According to the complaint, the N.C.A.A. believes its brand has already suffered damage from the registration of the term, and will continue to suffer damage if the urology practice is allowed to maintain the registration and continue using the term “Vasectomy Mayhem” in their advertising. Continue reading ›