Be careful when shopping for that dream HDTV for the big Super Bowl game. Why? Because the NFL may tackle you for a 5-yard loss if you watch the game on a screen larger than 55 inches. Sports leagues are typically very protective of their real and supposed properties, but a recent crackdown on a church that was planning to host a Super Bowl party has brought to light a somewhat poorly written copyright law.

The NFL initially complained that the church was charging people to watch the game, and that they called it "Super Bowl". But even after the church agreed to let people in for free, the NFL continued to press the issue and said that by showing the Super Bowl on a screen that is larger than 55 inches is copyright infringement, which may be a public performance. The stance of the NFL is that they have a long-standing policy to ban mass-out-of-home viewing, with the exception of places that show it as part of their everyday business like sports bars. Using this law against a small congregation seems somewhat petty of a league that is one of the most successful at financially promoting their sport. Still, the law is indeed real, if not outdated in this new HDTV era.

Maybe the league was traumatized by Sunday school as kids, but the message seems to be that if you're going to enjoy Super Bowl Sunday, watch it on a moderately-sized TV or face the wrath of the almighty NFL. [via Techdirt]