Former Tennessee Basketball Player Bobby Maze sues EA/NCAA

[RaychelSnr]

It seems like when it rains lawsuits, it pours:

Quote:

"Local attorney Gordon Ball has filed a lawsuit on behalf of former University of Tennessee basketball star Bobby Maze against the major college conferences (including the SEC), the NCAA, and a video game maker for exploiting Maze and other basketball and football players. The suit says college athletes’ likenesses and even their jersey numbers are used in video games to generate millions of dollars, and the athletes are not compensated. Maze appeared in video games during the 2006, 2008, and 2009 basketball seasons. The suit against Electronic Arts Inc. says the NCAA requires athletes to sign a form each year giving up the right to their likeness that continues even after they graduate."

This suit joins other similar ones, such as Sam Keller's, which state the NCAA and EA are profiting off of college athletes without any compensation in return. As the New York Times has reported, this case is about much more than video games and could be a landmark case in rights management as well a firm test on the NCAA's claim that it's athletes are amateurs.

I'm not even going to try to prognosticate where these cases end up legally, as legal experts are divided themselves over what happens here. Instead, I think it's safe to say that if any college sports game isn't selling well, it's a product which is on the endangered list. On a practical scale that means NCAA Football will have to continue its success and the chances of seeing another college basketball game from any company at this point is quite low since no one could quite figure out the sales magic for that sport.

[southzeztpdot]

I bet if he made it to the League this law suit would never exist....He got a free education PLUS stipends. He needs to act like he had to pay his way through school. He didnt have to go to the NCAA to play basketball he could of gone overseas like Brandon Jennings.

[shyvoodoo]

I agree, if he was John Wall, we would never heard of this. I'm sorry but these guys know when they go play "Big Time" college basketball, the NCAA is gonna exploit them anyway. Besides Get your diploma, I mean thats why you're GOING there in the 1st place right??

Its no big secret the NCAA reasoning is "we're giving you the right to a free education and with the EXPOSURE we can give YOU and YOUR SCHOOL, if you are good enough, YOU can flip this OPPORTUNITY into a MULTIMILLION dollar career!!" Agreed?? Hell, if these guys are so "worried" about their likeness, then go play at a Div. II school or an NAIA school and try and make it to THE LEAGUE that way....

[shyvoodoo]

One more thing, the NCAA requiring these guys to sign a form to give them the right to use their likeness??
Well, like I said, its a "do something for me and I will do something for you" type thing... If the "student" athlete dont like it, like south said GO OVERSEAS and get your exposure.....

[DirtyJerz32]

Seriously these guys need to get over themselves. He didn't make it to the league and he's probably broke. He should've kept all the money the boosters gave him during his time there.

[GaryT531]

I don't understand how they can sue for using "player likeness" for anything other than jersey numbers, and maybe height and weight. That's just not enough detail to win a court case imo.

EA Sports college Basketball and Football games are so generic anyway in terms that all players look the same except for race, run the same, etc. After playing Madden 11 which has some player detail and NBA 2K11 which rediculous player detail and likeness, I can't even go back to playing these generic college games like NCAA Football and CH 2K8. But that's just me.

[GaryT531]

This guy isn't the first and certainly won't be the last to try to sue EA Sports. Think Maze even knows that no one makes college basketball games anymore? Yeah Keller opened up this can of worms but Maze has no chance.

[ThaShark28_316]

Why don't they sue the networks who promote their names and teams in promos to hype the game up? See what I'm saying?