NFL: Showing the Super Bowl on a TV Larger than 55" is Copyright Infringement

[mandy]

The NFL has nixed a church's plans to use a wall projector to show the Colts-Bears Super Bowl game, saying it would violate copyright laws.

NFL officials spotted a promotion of Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash" on the church Web site last week and overnighted a letter to the pastor demanding the party be canceled, the church said.

...the NFL objected to the church's plans to use a projector to show the game, saying the law limits it to one TV no bigger than 55 inches...

full article: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/fo...topstories

TechDirt on the NFL's actions:

What is it with sports leagues and their desire to limit how their fans can enjoy the game? There's Major League Baseball, who keeps trying to insist that they own the facts related to a game, and no one can use them without paying MLB first. Then, there's the NFL, who freaked out about TiVo and also tried to ban any broadcasters from using "unauthorized" video feeds to show what happens in the stadium (i.e., no sideline cameras any more). They've been particularly fussy about the Super Bowl, however, forcing advertisers to call it "the Big Game" or whatever, claiming excessive control over the trademark (remember, trademarks are really designed to prevent consumer confusion, not to give holders full control over the mark).

The latest situation is perhaps even more bizarre ...

full article: http://techdirt.com/articles/20070201/140812.shtml

[regic]

NFL: Showing the Super Bowl on a TV Larger than 55" is Copyright Infringement

The latest situation is perhaps even more bizarre

Bizarre is one way of putting it.  :

(message to NFL lawyers: I'm not in violation of the copyright because a. I don't watch football and b. my TV is a noninfringing 21" model)

[BellisimaJ.]

NFL officials spotted a promotion of Fall Creek Baptist Church's "Super Bowl Bash" on the church Web site last week and overnighted a letter to the pastor demanding the party be canceled, the church said.

...the NFL objected to the church's plans to use a projector to show the game, saying the law limits it to one TV no bigger than 55 inches.

This is ridiculous. Do they seriously think that these people would go to the game if they can't see it on a big screen? :

[thentavius]

There are so many ridiculous sides to this.

1.) The NFL -- come, on! Gimmie a break. I mean, really. Policing peoples' tv-watching?

2.) A whole church? Watching the Super Bowl? Isn't that like, from the devil or something?

3.) Who gives a flying f*ck about football?

Like regic, I'm in no danger of "violating" their police state. I don't watch football (pay our teachers and educators what the jocks are making, please) and I don't have a giant TV. And last I heard, my "religious centers" aren't hosting a football bash.

Are you sure this isn't from the Onion?

;D

[mandy]

The NFL's unique interpretation of trademark law breaks new ground:

As most people know, the NFL doesn't want you to use the word "Superbowl" when hosting a party, sale, event, etc, and they aggressively enforce their trademark on this term.  In response, since all the country does in fact have parties, sales, events, etc. associated with the Superbowl, folks have adopted the euphemism 'the big game" in their communications...

The NFL has decided to go in a different direction.  It is trying to trademark the term "the big game" so that term can't be used either...

full article: http://www.coyoteblog.com/coyote_blog/20...ns_th.html

[BellisimaJ.]

The NFL is boinking retarded! Enough already, for pete's sake!!

[mandy]

More on the NFL:

It's no secret that some content owners don't seem to understand how the DMCA works—that, or they simply don't care when sending mass takedown notices. This seems to be the case with the recent saga of legal maneuvers between the National Football League (NFL) and Brooklyn Law School professor Wendy Seltzer. The two have been going back and forth with DMCA-related "requests" since early February—with YouTube stuck in between—and in the process, the NFL itself appears to have violated the DMCA.

The story began when Seltzer posted a YouTube clip on her personal blog in early February. The clip showed the NFL's copyright message that aired during the Super Bowl...

Seltzer, law professor by day, is also staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) by night and founder of Chilling Effects, a web site dedicated to educating the public about online rights...

full article: http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/200...tions.html

[regic]

Seltzer, law professor by day, is also staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) by night and founder of Chilling Effects