COURT RULES IN FAVOR OF NCAA AND IHSA ON 'MARCH MADNESS' NAME

INDIANAPOLIS---The United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, has ruled in favor of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) in its suit against Netfire, Inc. and Sports Marketing International, Inc. The court issued an opinion upholding "March Madness" as a trademark and finding that Dallas defendants committed trademark infringement and cybersquatting.

"We are pleased with the courts ruling, which again clarifies that the term 'March Madness' is not generic and is subject to trademark protection," said Scott Bearby, the NCAA's associate general counsel. "In addition, this case reaffirms the NCAA's commitment to protecting its brand from companies and individuals who wish to capitalize on a perceived association with the NCAA."

The NCAA and IHSA, through the March Madness Athletic Association, L.L.C., filed suit in spring 2000 as a result of Netfire's and Sports Marketing International's prior registration of the domain name www.marchmadness.com and its use as a commercial Web site exploiting the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship with planned contests and information about the championship. The March Madness Athletic Association, L.L.C. (MMAA) was created by the NCAA and IHSA in February 2000. The IHSA has titled its boys' and girls' basketball championships "March Madness," and the NCAA has nicknamed its men's and women's basketball championships as "March Madness."

Before the filing of the lawsuit by the NCAA and IHSA, both Netfire and Sports Marketing International had refused prior requests to remove content from their site and turn over the domain name to the MMAA, which holds a number of trademark registrations to the "March Madness" mark. As a part of the ruling, the court ordered Netfire and Sports Marketing International to transfer the domain name to the MMAA and awarded undisclosed costs to the NCAA and IHSA.

JH:mel

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