subscribe to this page
In an article from 2004, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the efforts of the National Football League to protect its Super Bowl copyright in a number of big casinos. The NFL sought out and warned casinos and resorts against holding Super Bowl parties that violated copyright law by either charging a fee to watch the game, or by displaying the game on screens larger than 55 inches.
In addition, the NFL not only pursued action against venues in Las Vegas, but also many in New England and North Carolina, the hometowns to the two teams that were competing in the year’s championship.
According to the article, the NFL argued that by violating the NFL’s copyright over the Super Bowl and unfairly charging people to view the game, these venues were hurting ratings by not capturing these viewers. In turn, this hurt advertisers and thus hurt the NFL’s overall monetary gain.
In response to the NFL’s action, some of the venues cancelled their events, while others refunded charges and installed smaller screened televisions to display the game.
The importance of this article highlights the fact that the National Football League has not only pursued action against large churches, but food and drinking establishments as well. Here, the NFL spokesperson argues that the league pursues action against those establishments who violate copyright law based on the venue’s size, and their compliance with audio and visual requirements, such as the size of the screens displaying the Super Bowl. Moreover, the NFL pursues action against both food and drinking establishment and non-food and drinking establishments, and therefore does so to protect their copyright as laid out in the U.S. legal code, not to prevent one type of establishment from transmitting the Super Bowl to the public over another.
