Lawsuit Claims EA Used UNLV Fight Song in NCAA Games w/o Permission
Lawsuit Claims EA Used UNLV Fight Song in NCAA Games w/o Permission
October 14, 2008
A lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Nevada late last month alleges that sports game publisher Electronic Arts used the UNLV fight song in various NCAA-licensed games without obtaining permission of the composer.
Gerald Willis of Washoe County says in the suit that he is the composer and copyright holder of both the lyrics and music of Win With the Rebels. Willis claims that his tune can be heard in the following games:
- NCAA Basketball 09
- NCAA Football 09
- NCAA March Madness 08
- NCAA Football 08
- NCAA March Madness 07
- NCAA Football 07
- MVP NCAA Baseball 07
- NCAA March Madness 06
- NCAA Football 06
- MVP NCAA Baseball 06
From the complaint:
...an important element of Defendants' software is its realistic feel that is created, at least in part, by its recorded and reproduced sounds including but not limited to college fight song.
Willis seeks $150,000 per alleged copyright violation. We have a request in to EA for comment.
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Posted 11/20/09 at 05:42pm
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ZippyDSMlee: oh may the cute stab out your eyes, http://www.youtube.com/user/simonscat
Posted 11/20/09 at 05:17pm
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Posted 11/20/09 at 05:10pm
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Posted 11/20/09 at 05:01pm
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JDKJ: Me. I'm rehearsing the role just in case I do get dubbed Zippy The Soecnda.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:59pm
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
DarkSaber: Wait, is that meant to be Zippy, me or you?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:49pm
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
JDKJ: I cud caer lez. =^^= *wakes up in mid-afternoon after staying up until 3:00AM soldering resistors on to circuit boards, stumbles around in formerly white but now grey underwear, while simultaneously scratching groin with vigor and making coffee*
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:46pm
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
DarkSaber: knell? Don't you mean Neil? Anymore of tht and I'll dub thee Zippy The Soecnda
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:44pm
JDKJ: Now, now, Saber. Don't be salty. You weren't the first one to knell and bob and you ain't gonna be the last one, either.
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Posted 11/20/09 at 04:42pm
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
DarkSaber: JD's feeling rather desperate it seems.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:33pm
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
JDKJ: C'mon, Zip. You already touch yourself way too much. Spread the love. Before you go blind.
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:27pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
ZippyDSMlee: JD:No and I ain't touching any part of you or your friends!! :P
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:25pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Lik Mitaint?
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
ZippyDSMlee: neill and bob,oldest giveing head joke and most lamest...
Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
JDKJ: But thanks for the memory. MIB's a classic. *sings* "Here come the Men in Black. Galaxy defenders. Here come the Men in Black. They won't let you remember."
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Posted 11/20/09 at 04:18pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:for the record I told you you can suck your own dck.
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Posted 11/20/09 at 04:07pm
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
JDKJ: Naw, man. That's Mueedeegiaap and Bob. And you can stop bobbing. I got Zippy bobbing now, too.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:56pm
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
DarkSaber: OH I get it now! It's Men In Black quote! The twins that run the comm centre in HQ.
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:49pm
JDKJ: I'd like to introduce you to them. First, Neil. Then, Bob.
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Posted 11/20/09 at 03:47pm
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I know they are intimate friends of yours...
ZippyDSMlee: JD:I know they are intimate friends of yours...
Posted 11/20/09 at 03:44pm
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Neil and Bob?
JDKJ: @Zip: You know Neil and Bob?
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Comments
Here they come! One whiff of EAs blood in the water was all it took....
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
It depends, when he says "per infringement" does he mean per game sold, or does he just want 150K for every title it should have been liscenced for.
I'd imagine it's per IP that used it and not per unit. Otherwise there goes EA as a company huh?
Heh. If only.
Really though, it took them this long?
Hell, I hope it is Broken's former, because EA would prolly lose half of their income for the year, haha.
Well, under the new law, should this be calculated per violation/unit? Which would pretty much destroy EA entirely?
Sounds like Gerald Willis needs better Digital Rights Management to control the unauthorized distribution of his work. Hmm, wonder who could help him out with that...?
Irony is teh awesome. :)
If only this guy could put the serious beat down on EA for IPR violations with maximum statutory damages per infringement. It would be such perfect justice!
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"The most difficult pain a man can suffer is to have knowledge of much and power over little" - Herodotus
If the man has clear legal claim to the property, then he will likely prevail.
But school fight songs ... don't they typically either belong to the school itself, or to an implied public domain? It would be reasonable to assume that by licensing the right to use the school's IP in the games, that EA may have assumed that right extended to things like school fight songs? I would chalk this up to legal laziness on both the part of EA and the school.
--Verbinator
Wait so a company who whines and shoved down our throats one of the most horrible draconic anti piracy devices ever is now a pirate?
Oh the irony i hope he wont and got paid by EA. I can imagine all the players who dont get paid raging on steroids at this when they are in the game but not officially.