The N.C.A.A. has filed a complaint against a urology practice in Virginia that trademarked the phrase “Vasectomy Mayhem,” which the athletic association said was “confusingly similar” to March Madness, its basketball tournament brand.
The college athletic association accused the practice, Virginia Urology in Richmond, Va., of trying to affiliate its brand with the popular March Madness tournament, according to a complaint filed to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s appeal board.
In its complaint, the N.C.A.A. said its concerns were the “likelihood of confusion” and “dilution by blurring” of its brand. The complaint was filed last month, but gained national attention from news outlets like NBC this week, ahead of the men’s college basketball tournament.