Bright lights, louder headlines, and a legal backbone strong enough to hold the biggest cultural moment of the year. We take you past the scoreboard and into the systems that make the Super Bowl work: broadcast rights that cross borders, trademarks that protect trust, and licensing strategies that turn 15 minutes of halftime into global memory. Along the way, we unpack the real moves behind “The Big Game,” from satellite transmissions and domain seizures to creative constraints that spark better ads, cleaner stages, and fewer courtrooms.
We start with the money plays—why transmissions count as public performances and how that doctrine funds the spectacle you watch on Sunday. Then we head online, where domain names masquerade as jerseys and UDRP panels yank them back before kickoff. The anti-piracy blitz gets real with Operation In Our Sites, a coordinated push that seizes illegal streaming hubs and undercuts counterfeit merch so legitimate broadcasts and brands can win the night.
Advertising sits on a razor’s edge. We explore the Tom Waits soundalike ruling to show how a voice can be identity, not a shortcut, and revisit the Beastie Boys’ stance to prove “not an ad ad” is still advertising when it moves product. Music is protected IP even when your campaign hides outside the 30-second slot, and endorsement risk turns on what viewers feel, not what disclaimers claim. That nuance becomes a blueprint for modern marketers: leverage cultural moments without impersonating people or implying NFL sponsorship.
Ambush marketing gets a fair shake, too. Courts have long allowed expressive references to major events while drawing a hard line at official-looking promotion. We share practical examples—billboards near stadiums, social posts that capture live moments, playful language aimed at parties and community—that ride the wave without borrowing league equity. And we end on the most surprising truth: halftime stays lawsuit-free not by luck, but by ruthless planning. Every song, visual, and contract is cleared early so art can soar at speed.
If you care about creativity, brand safety, or the craft of putting culture on a clock, this conversation maps the terrain. Hit play, subscribe for more plain talk about intellectual property, and tell us: which legal play changed how you see the Super Bowl?
Check out "Protection for the Inventive Mind" – available now on Amazon in print and Kindle formats.
The views and opinions expressed (by the host and guest(s)) in this podcast are strictly their own and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the entities with which they may be affiliated. This podcast should in no way be construed as promoting or criticizing any particular government policy, institutional position, private interest or commercial entity. Any content provided is for informational and educational purposes only.
