By John Arenberg, former SID, Emory University
The golden arches are an internationally recognized symbol for the McDonald's restaurants. Its competitors continue to find ways to topple the fast-food king, but none of them have resorted to renaming themselves MacDonald's.
Why? Because that would be in violation of the U.S. trademark guidelines, under which the name "McDonald's" is registered. The intent of trademarks is to avoid confusion in the minds of reasonable people.
The trademark issue has implications for CoSIDA, which has registered the name, "Academic All-America" for its student-athlete recognition program.
The ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America
® program administered by CoSIDA is distinct from those sponsored by coaches' organizations. Thus, the terminology for the latter should be distinct from the CoSIDA program to avoid confusion and to comply with trademark guidelines.
From the web site for the United States Patent and Trademark Office
(
http://www.uspto.gov):
"A trademark is a word, name, symbol or device which is used in trade with goods to indicate the source of the goods and to distinguish them from the goods of others. Trademark rights may be used to prevent others from using a confusingly similar mark, but not to prevent others from making the same goods or from selling the same goods or services under a clearly different mark."
Those organizations that use the phrase "Academic All-America" or a similar variation, "Academic All-American," are asked to use different terminology and, when needed, sent a cease-and-desist letter from CoSIDA. Most organizations are cooperative in recognizing the legality of the CoSIDA trademark.
Still, some confusion persists in the athletics community through casual, interchangeable use of the Academic All-America phrase. Some people see the phrase as a generic catch-all for academic honors, just as to make a photocopy is to "Xerox" something, or to grab a facial tissue is to use a "Kleenex."
The CoSIDA board asks all members to assist the organization in protecting its "Academic All-America" trademark and educating the athletics community on the appropriate use of the phrase.
When writing stories about academic honors from organizations other than CoSIDA, use their designated terminology. If that organization uses the Academic All-America phrase, whether by accident or by design, substitute an alternative phrase.
To assist SIDs, the CoSIDA board has assembled a list of academic-related honors bestowed by coaches' organizations. Use this list (see sidebar) as a reference for the formal and appropriate terminology for each honor.
If an administrator, coach or athlete should misuse the Academic All-America phrase, SIDs should take the opportunity to politely correct them for the record and explain the distinction between the CoSIDA recognition program and others.
Such proactive measures protect the integrity and prestige of the ESPN the Magazine Academic All-America
® program, recognized as the oldest in college athletics, dating back to its origin in 1952 as the creation of Lester Jordan, then SID at Southern Methodist University.
This also protects the value of the program's sponsorship, now with ESPN The Magazine. Commercial sponsorship, such as ESPN's, is important for the Academic All-America
® program, which is the most prominent, and expensive, element of CoSIDA.
So, the next time you head into a fast-food restaurant, you will understand why there is no "Big Mack" sandwich on their menu.
Basketball
Academic Honor Roll (NABC) - individuals Academic Top-25 Team Honor Roll
(WBCA) - teams
Cross Country
All-Academic (USTCA) - teams and individuals
Golf
All-America Scholar (GCAA) - individuals
Field Hockey
National Academic Team Award (NFHCA) - teams National Academic Squad (NFCHA)
- individuals
Lacrosse
Academic Squads (IWLCA) - teams
Academic Honor Roll (IWLCA) - individuals (alternative phrase suggested by
CoSIDA)
Soccer
Team Academic Award (NSCAA) - teams
Scholar All-America (NSCAA) - individuals
Softball
Academic Top-10 (NFCA) - teams
Scholar-Athlete (NFCA) - individuals
Sports Information
Academic All-America
® (CoSIDA) - national honorees Academic All-District
(CoSIDA) - district honorees
Swimming
All-Academic Individual (CSCAA) - individuals (alternative phrase suggested by CoSIDA) All-Academic Team (CSCAA) - teams (alternative phrase suggested by
CoSIDA)
Tennis
All-Academic Team (ITA)
Scholar-Athlete (ITA)
Track
same as cross country
Volleyball
Team Academic Award (AVCA)
Wrestling
All-Academic Individual (NWCA) - individuals (alternative phrase suggested by CoSIDA) Academic Top-25 (NWCA) - teams