College basketball fans are preparing for today’s tip-off of March Madness, the annual tournament that lowers productivity in the workplace, raises blood pressure and drains wallets of cash.

March is also a busy month for the lawyers in charge of enforcing the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s trademarked properties, which include “March Madness,” “Elite Eight” and “Final Four.”

The Internet has made it easier for people to try to profit off the tournament by creating bracket pools, iPhone apps and even streaming CBS’s live game feed on their Web sites. The NCAA’s lawyers are trying to thwart them.

Add the down economy, and they’ve got hundreds of enforcement issues to deal with this month alone.

This year, attorneys are seeing a spate of “ambush marketing,” which means using names such as “March Madness” or “Oscars” to try to make a profit without actually owning the trademark rights.