NFL amateur body scores trademark settlement

The US governing body for amateur American football has settled a trademark infringement dispute with the US Federation of American Football (USFAF).

Non-profit organisation USA Football sued USFAF back in May this year at the US District Court for the Southern District of Indianapolis.

USA Football, the official youth development partner of the National Football League (NFL) and a member of the US Olympic Committee, hosts several high school events, training sessions and nationwide competitions.

According to the suit, USA Football has continually operated these events and its team as the US National Team (which was referred to as “the mark” in this case).

USFAF also “focuses its business efforts on development of amateur football”, said the claim.

But in a bid to field a team for The World Games 2017, hosted in Poland in July, USFAF had allegedly solicited coaches and players from across the country to participate in what it referred to as the “US National Team”.

USA Football claimed that it had learned of the allegedly unauthorised use of the mark when it received communication from an “independent football coach confused about whether activities with respect to its US National Team were affiliated with USA Football”.

Yesterday, October 31, US District Judge Jane Magnus-Stinson signed an order to dismiss the suit with prejudice.

The NFL itself is very active in protecting its IP—in October, the NFL and American football team the Seattle Seahawks took issue with a trademark filed by a Washington-based individual.

‘ Tw Elves’ covers class 25 (athletic apparel) and was published for opposition in the Official Gazette in June.

And in September, the NFL and the Indianapolis Colts filed an opposition to the mark ‘ Believe in blue’.

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