Let me preface my reply with this disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, nor is anything I say to be construed as legal advice, and if you need legal advice you should talk to an attorney.

There. Got that out of the way.

Patent, trademark and copyright laws are there to protect intellectual property with commercial value. Simply put, others should not be able to benefit from the work of others (for free). The NCAA believes it has invested significant time, energy and money into building its basketball tournament brand. That includes the stored brand value of phrases like “Final 4,” “Sweet 16″ and “March Madness.” Most legal experts would probably agree. So the question before the court in your case would be, “Are you trying to exploit or capitalize on the goodwill and brand value built up by the NCAA?” I could easily argue that yes, you are. The other question is, “Could consumers conceivably be confused by your use of March [X] Madness?” In other words, might a consumer think that the NCAA has in some way endorsed, sponsored or partnered with your Chamber of Commerce. Again, I could easily argue that yes, this is the case.

If you haven’t been “caught” yet, you may get through this season. But I wouldn’t do it again.

Thanks.