Video Game Lawyer Money; Parrish v NFLPA aka Madden Case
I know you’re thinking, where’s the Video Game lawyer money?
The beginnings of these cases are all so celebrated, so noteworthy, posted on the game sites, the news sites, but where are the awards?
Recently, retired NFL players were awarded a $28 million judgment, according to the legal newsletter on JDSupra.
Here is the Justia page of all the relevant legal documents
As you can see from the filings, the first official action was February 14, 2007, and the judgment was issued on November 10, 2008 for 7.1 million in damages and 21 million in punitive damages.
After EA appealed the judgment, a settlement was reached in excess of $26 million and announced at a press conference June 5, 2009.
These types of cases are hard-fought and long-running, and seldom make the headlines once a resolution is met.
The repercussions, though, are like a ripple in the water that lingers for a good while after the settlement is made.
1. EA announced that they would no longer be making the vintage player’s profiles available as a game feature in upcoming versions of Madden Football.
2. Former college football player Sam Keller sues over use of his likeness by EA Sports. (Great indepth discussion available here)
3. Former college basketball player Ed O’Bannon sues over use of his likeness by EA Sports.
4. The NCAA has spent $84 million on litigation the last 10 years. Of course, only a portion of that has been to fight class-action lawsuits.
5. The Wall Street Journal also makes the connectionbetween the NFL’s settlement in the retired players’ lawsuit, and the almost-immediate filing of the NCAA players’ (Keller, O’Bannon, etc.) lawsuits.
6. Finally, a view that the lawsuit might impact other documents amateur players must sign for the NCAA, beyond the video-game licensing even to jerseys, T-shirts, and other intellectual property.
So as you see, it’s not just video games, anymore.
Jay Moffitt is a TN attorney. The statements herein do not constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created. Jay Moffitt does not claim a certification in the subject matter, and Tennessee does not offer a certification in the subject matter. Post copyright September 23, 2009.
Tags: EA, lawsuits, video games
