Posts Tagged ‘player likeness lawsuit’
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One NCAA Player Likeness Lawsuit Ends in EA’s Favor
While the well-publicized lawsuit against EA Sports, the NCAA, and the Collegiate Licensing Company steams towards a trial set to begin in March 2013 (see the details on that here) a ruling has come down that offers insight into the legalities and could even have a greater impact. EA has won a dismissal in a case brought originally in 2009 by former Rutgers QB Ryan Hart in New Jersey, reinforcing the idea that video games are artistic works rather than commercial speech - and therefore pr...
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Loss in NCAA Player Likeness Lawsuit Would Have Huge Financial Impact on EA
According to CNBC's Darren Rovell a loss in the player likeness lawsuit brought against Electronic Arts, the NCAA, and CLC that is currently making its way through the courts (trial scheduled to begin March 2013) could potentially cost the company $1 billion. That would amount to a full quarter of the company's yearly revenues. Check out the detailed breakdown of the lawsuit and all the latest developments in this recent article. If all athletes are included in the class, and EA loses the...
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Electronic Arts Denied Request for Dismissal in Player Likeness Lawsuit
Less than three months ago Electronic Arts was dismissed from the high profile lawsuit brought against them as well as the NCAA and Collegiate Licensing Company. The suit alleges improper use of player likeness through various forms of merchandise and media including video games in which the parties in question conspired to avoid paying players for their rights. A new ruling however looks to have brought EA back into the fold as a defendant in the lawsuit which has former players Sam Keller ...
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Trial Set in NCAA Player Likeness Lawsuit
Though EA Sports was recently dismissed as a defendant from the player likeness lawsuit originally filed in 2009 it will proceed against the NCAA and Collegiate Licensing Company after surviving another attempt to dismiss by those two parties. The outcome could have significant influence on NCAA licensed sports games in the future so the case remains of high interest. It will be a long wait however for that decision to come down as the trial has been set to begin on March 11th 2013. The l...
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Judge Dismisses NCAA Player Likeness Lawsuit Against EA Sports
Originally filed in 2009 while represented by Sam Keller and Ed O'Bannon in two cases that merged and finally reaching the courts back in February the lawsuit regarding improper use of player likenesses by EA Sports, the NCAA, and Collegiate Licensing Company has now reached a significant ruling. A judge has dismissed the complaint against EA Sports while the lawsuit will continue against the two other parties. Judge Claudia Wilken: "This purported conspiracy involves Defendants' concerte...
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Court Hearing Tomorrow in Suit Against NCAA and EA Sports
A critical hearing takes place tomorrow in the case of Sam Keller vs. the NCAA, Collegiate Licensing Company, and EA Sports. The lawsuit, originally filed in 2009, has reached the Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals after the argument to dismiss made by EA Sports regarding free speech protection as creative works of art was rejected last February. That First Amendment challenge has been watched closely and supported by Hollywood as it could affect their entertainment-based operations if chall...
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Judge Dismisses One Lawsuit Against EA
A lawsuit filed by former NFL player Jim Brown against Electronic Arts over the use of his likeness in past Madden games has been dismissed. Brown had made the claim that having a player similar in make-up to him represented a "false endorsement" even though his name was ever included in the game. The New York Times has a full article on the story here. “The Madden NFL video games are expressive works, akin to an expressive painting that depicts celebrity athletes of past and present in a r...
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Lawsuit Threatens Future of College Sports Games
Over the last couple days there has been a great deal of talk around a lawsuit filed by former ASU and Nebraska QB Sam Keller. In the class action suit he claims that the NCAA and EA Sports profited off his name as they do all other collegiate football and basketball athletes in games such as NCAA Football and NCAA Basketball. He cites the players in the games as having the same number, representative player ratings, similar builds and accurate hometowns of the actual players. Of course no ...
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