Of all the things it could be doing, the National Collegiate Athletic Association has filed a petition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office declaring war against the Marine Corps for naming its annual band competition “Sousa’s March Mania.” Something seems seriously wrong with the NCAA’s legal priorities.
“The President’s Own” Marine Band showdown is a tournament-style competition of musical marches. In March this year, 32 marches went head-to-head over four weeks with winners advancing by popular vote to determine a champion.
Last year, the Marines applied for a trademark for “Sousa’s March Mania.” The USPTO took final action last month, registering the trademark. The NCAA immediately called its lawyers to petition the USPTO to cancel the registration.
According to the online sports publication Sportico, the NCAA’s petition asserts that Sousa’s March Mania could “invoke the same commercial impression” as college basketball’s March Madness, and the NCAA is “now and will continue to be damaged” by the USPTO’s action.
Is college basketball being threatened by the band? The NCAA thinks so — enough to mount a frivolous dogfight for naming rights as it faces significant problems in court.
Read the rest of this op ed here in the Washington Examiner.