The NFL and KFC
Ever wonder why your favorite bar doesn’t advertise the “Super Bowl”? Instead they talk about the big game. You also will not see “Steelers vs. Falcons”, but you may see “Pittsburg v. Arizona.” This was not always the case. I remember growing up and seeing “Super Bowl” and “Super Game” posted everywhere. So what has changed you asked? Well, legally nothing. The NFL has owned these trademarks for years. What has changed is their willingness to enforce them. Their biggest fight being when they prohibited a casino in Vegas from showing the game on a big screen in a room that sat 7,000.
But the NFL is not the only entity being unreasonable with their name. In the 90’s Kentucky obtained a trademark on the word Kentucky. This is why the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Fried Chicken stopped using their names. Now please tell me you did not believe the story that Kentucky Fried Chicken started using KFC because the FDA found out they had mutant chickens. While very funny, it is not true. Apparently KFC and Kentucky later reached a deal on using the name and KFC restaurants are being converted back to Kentucky Fried Chicken.