Posts Tagged: "Name"

Name, Image, and Likeness, or “NIL,” is the buzz word spinning around college athletics. In July 2021, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) adopted its Interim NIL Policy (“the Policy”) which allows, for the first time, student athletes to monetize their NIL rights without losing scholarships or eligibility. Fans love college sports and cheering on athletes who play for their alma mater or favorite school teams, which creates collaboration opportunities for athletes and brands alike. In an attempt to connect their products and services with college athletes—who are the face of a billion-dollar industry—brands are jumping on the college-athlete bandwagon.

“Name, Image, Likeness” rights, the term commonly used to designate rights covered under right of publicity law, has been a popular and trending term thus far in 2021, and a hotly debated topic in the world of sports. With the Supreme Court’s ruling in NCAA v. Alston, multiple states enacting Name, Image, Likeness statutes, and the recent decision by the NCAA to suspend all Name, Image, Likeness rules for incoming and current athletes, this year is promising to reshape the advertising and sponsorship landscape for current U.S. college athletes and recruits. However, the controversies surrounding this subsection of intellectual property (IP) Law are not new to sports, and they are not unique to college athletes. For years, Olympic athletes have fought against Name, Image, Likeness restrictions set forth in the Olympic Charter and imposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).