NFFC Message Boards

You may have noticed that we changed the name of the Draft Masters League to Draft Champions League since Draft Day as we were informed by the WCOFF that it was in conflict with their game. I certainly apologize for any confusion this may have caused. This format has been used by the FanEx League and other leagues in the past and I thought this was a generic term, no different than Auction Leagues. But I will gladly change our league name to avoid confusion, so going forward please refer to this format as the NFFC's Draft Champions League. Thanks and good luck.

Go figure the source. You get the feeling that maybe they are running scared from the new kid on the block? I paid to play in Draft Masters and I'll keep calling it that. They don't own that name. F*** them!

That’s pretty sad. There’s no way they can trademark the term “Draftmasters.” Both terms are too generic and the combined term is an industry term, not one specific to their event. They are a joke for doing that. I was actually considering playing in their leagues too next year if the drafts did not conflict. However, there is absolutely ZERO chance now I will EVER let them see any of my money.

No one wants to give big money to a litigious group of potential a holes. They are not creating good will for their brand. And they definitely just lost 1000’s of potential future dollars from me. I hope others are made aware of what kind of operation they run before helping them succeed.

Greg, don't know what's weaker, them complaining, or you changing

F*$& LENNY !

Greg, next year he will be your bitch!

I some expertise in the TM arena. I think Lenny has a claim and I even mentioned it to Greg in an email (I believe I did) some time back. They created a game and called it Draft Masters, this gives them a TM on the name. It is not generic at this point. So any other similar game would have to be officially called something else.

Draft Masters may have some sort of genereic meaning, but I never heard of it until Lenny put the game out there and that is what we all know. Remember, the game is fantasy football (genereic) and Lenny called it Draft Masters. Sorry, but everyone should save thier money and Greg should change the name like he did. And yes, I would do what both Lenny and Greg did if i was in thier shoes.

Trademark my bootie! If the name was used before in marketing than Lenny has no claim on a trademark. His second year and he's claiming a trademark? I don't think so. I understand Greg not wanting to fight this one out. Its not worth the money it would cost. I can still call it the NFFC DRAFT MASTERS LEAGUES.

A Trademark is something you pay for (and has some expense associated with it). I doubt very much it's been through that process. I also ... would have done what Greg did and change the name. It's not worth it. It is very petty and small minded to think the way Lenny appears to be doing it (using the word "think" ... loosely). There is a large untapped market for games like this ... Lenny should be more concerned about growing the market (it could grow exponentially over the next couple years) rather than trying to "protect" what he perceives as his share of the currently small start up market.

A quick check of the Patent and Trademark Office website reveals that there are no trademarks for "Draft Masters" or "Draftmasters". I'm not an expert, but it sure looks like the trademark for World Championship of Fantasy Football is only for the mark/logo, not the phrase itself. So I wonder if I am free to start up my own World Championship of Fantasy Football with a different logo.

Actually, the USPTO is only for REGISTERED TMs. you can aquire a TM by just using a name in a commercial aspect IE- Draftmasters. Most companies do not register thier names or logos, but they still own the TM. registering a TM only strengths thier arguement someone tries to inpead on that TM.

you cannot design an event called "World Championship of Fantasy Football", it is a direct violation of TM law. Just like Lenny marketed Draftmasters for the draft league. Even though Draft and Masters are indeed genereic terms, putting them together in a commercial aspect makes it a TM.

A TM can be claimed the moment it is used in a commercial practice.