Name, image and likeness (aka NIL) is the general name given anytime a person endorses or promotes a company’s goods or services. In June 2021 the  #SupremeCourt ruled that the NCAA could not prevent athletes from monetizing their NIL rights. As a result, many people became aware of NIL.

Maybe its a Southern thing, but college athletics gets a lot of attention. The NCAA is still grappling with the ramifications of the Supreme Court decision. This has created a lot of uncertainty about what is and isn’t allowed. Last summer some of the more prominent college coaches sparred over what the other programs were doing. Many insinuated that various schools were cheating.

While this decision thrust NIL into the spotlight, NIL has been around for over a century. State law governs much of NIL, and this creates even more uncertainty. This leads to a lot of confusing situations. Because of this, most people don’t appreciate when NIL rights exist and don’t know how to control their own NIL. Further, you can protect your NIL rights with other forms of intellectual property if handled correctly.

NIL impacts you whether you are a college athlete, a social media influencer or a celebrity spokesperson. Our firm takes a holistic approach to handling NIL. We ensure you own the IP assets that will be valuable to companies. We also ensure the deals you make with these companies are fair. Contact us for a free consultation.