ICL, applies, Twenty20, trademark

Indian Cricket League (ICL) is the first ever league to attempt the 20-20 format in cricket. It was immediately dubbed as the rebel league as it did not have the blessing of BCCI. Then came Lalit Modi, cooked up a format, which is a cross between ICL, and the famous football league’s across the world and gave it a name Indian Premier League (IPL). IPL is the brainchild of Lalit Modi. It is an immediate success. With the amount of money involved and the number of international players involved, it should not come as a surprise. Besides it has ICC’s support.

With this background, ICL has applied for the trademark of T20. Their logic is : ‘We are the first ones who introduced 20-20 format in India’. I agree. But the problem is ICL is up against a new bully of world cricket :  BCCI.  IPL has already made the format so popular that it is almost synonymous with the version of the game itself. Their website even reads iplt20. They also have ICC in their kitty. With Sharad Pawar only few months away from ICC’s top post there is nothing much ICL can do to counter cash rich BCCI.

Their only savior would be that they are applying it for India. ICC might already have the trademark internationally for the format. It is only right that ICC has the trademark internationally.

Zee’s Subhash Chandra who started ICL with Kapil Dev really has a weak case. Let us see how this unfolds.