Madden-Based Lawsuit Powers Through

Posted by Gwyddia on October 29, 2008

NFL Hall of Fame player Herb Adderly is suing the NFL Players Association.  His suit is similar to one filed by retired player Jim Brown against EA.  Both claim that the retired players never gave permission for their numbers and likenesses to be used in EA’s Madden game series.

 

Neither of the suits is protesting the use of their likeness per se, but rather both contend that the retired players have been cheated out of profits and proceeds from the games.  Adderly’s suit, a class action encompassing at least 2,000 players, even goes so far as to claim that EA’s failure to acquire Take Two Interactive was detrimental to the retired NFL players because such a deal would have been worth more money.  

 

It is important to note that Adderly is not suing EA, but rather the NFL Players Association, with whom retired players have long had a contentious relationship.  It remains to be seen whether gaming companies will be brought into the suit or implicated for any wrongdoing in the matter.

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