WBA NewsroomMarch Madness is here! The Girls’ State Basketball Tournament is underway in Green Bay; next week the Boys’ tournament starts; and late Sunday afternoon we’ll know where the Badgers will be playing in the first round of the biggest “March Madness” contest of them all, the NCAA Division One Basketball Tournament. As this article from the Wisconsin Broadcasters Association’s “legal eagle” points out, “March Madness” is a trademarked term, just like “Super Bowl” and a lot of others. There’s no problem using the phrase “March Madness” in news and sports reports on your station, but for commercial matter, it’s another kettle of fish – including sponsor messages delivered during live coverage. David Oxenford makes it clear and easy to understand.
However, there are plenty of cautions for news and sports writers when it comes to using copyrighted terms. This section of the WBA Newsroom will give you a quick primer on do’s and don’ts. The list of copyright words and terms on the list is sure to contain a few that will surprise you!
Posted by Tim Morrissey