For many years, churches and sports bars have been the host of large Super Bowl viewing parties, which display the game on large-screen televisions. Over the past few years though, the National Football League has taken action against those venues whose space and television sizes violate copyright law. Also, the NFL has warned against using their term the "Super Bowl" to promote these parties. In particular, the NFL actively pursued churches that held such parties, until pressure from church and government officials pushed the NFL to exempt the churches from the law, arguing that they should have the same rights as those sports bars that are exempted. In fact, the copyright law does not fully exempt sports bars from hosting Super Bowl parties, but does allow for these particular food and drinking establishments to be almost twice the size of other venues before having to face audio and visual constraints on their displays. Many believe that the NFL is abusing copyright law. However, while the discrepancy between the different types of establishments requirements may not be fair, according to copyright law, the National Football League has the right to ban churches and other large venues from holding big-screened Super Bowl viewing parties until new legislation is passed or licensing agreements are made between the NFL and the hosting party.



