Electronic Arts continues to find itself a lighting rod for lawsuits, with at least three additional actions against the game maker documented by GameSpot.
Former University of North Carolina basketball player Byron Bishop has filed a suit, one seeking class-action status, against the NCAA, its licensing division and EA, charging that the defendants “conspired to violate the NCAA's own by-laws prohibiting the for-profit use of amateur athletes by including likenesses--but not names--of current athletes in its NCAA-branded games.” Similar lawsuits have been piling up against EA.
NFL superfan John Big Dawg Thompson, a member of the Cleveland Browns Dawg Pound, charges EA with the “unauthorized and unlicensed use of the images, likenesses, characters and persona of plaintiff’s Big Dawg character” in Madden NFL 2009. Thompson, who has appeared as Big Dawg “for nearly 25 years,” seeks a “reasonable sum” in excess of $25,000.
Fight Night Round 4 is at the center of the next lawsuit, with Fighters Incorporated, LLC suing EA for the “unlawful” use of three of Fighters Inc.’s boxers’ images in that title. Fighters Inc. further claims that EA induced several fighters to breach their contracts with Fighters Inc., then “dared Fighters Inc. to sue EA, suggesting EA was too big and powerful to challenge in court.” Fighters Inc. seeks damages of around $25.0 million, plus court costs.
Downloads:
Complaint for John Big Dawg Thompson vs Electronic Arts Inc. (PDF)
Complaint for Fighters Incorporated vs Electronic Arts Inc. (PDF)
Comments
Re: Three More Suits on EA’s Docket
Jeez, this is likely the biggest and most outrageous snowball effect I have witnessed in recent memory. Give an inch, they take a mile.
Re: Three More Suits on EA’s Docket
EA, just stop making sports games. That would stop nearly all of the lawsuits you keep getting.
Re: Three More Suits on EA’s Docket
That's turrible
---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.
Re: Three More Suits on EA’s Docket
Aw c'mon, it's still in the shoutbox AND I e-mailed the story in, but no credit? A pox on you. If the next articles to appear are about Jim Browns suit being dismissed and that Resistance douchebags case being dismissed I will go and sulk.
/tongueincheekmodesortabutnotreallyperhaps
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Three More Suits on EA’s Docket
Don't worry. I understand that instead of giving public credit they're now sending tipsters the much desired Pete Gallagher bobblehead. Yours is likely in the mail and on its way towards you.
Re: Three More Suits on EA’s Docket
bah, +10 to Unarmed. Useless. I need +10 Curmudgeon-ness.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: Three More Suits on EA’s Docket
"Bah" is right. You should throw in "humbug," too. You're the one to kick Tiny Tim's crutches out from under him and not bat an eyelid.