EA Study Claims It Doesn't Use All College Likenesses in Video Games, Just Some

[TDenverFan]

This may be the only time EA is the good guy...

[maltliquor23]

"If it's in the game we have 25% of it in the game" Seriously i understand that the OS community works hard to set up the rosters Regardless if whether they state a particular percentage is there to model after the collegate athlete, the number on the back shows the player is "in the game" so does this mean WR 15 for Eastern Michigan isnt the real player? or the kicker with UTSA? Its almost like the attorneys for ea got together with the EA higher ups and went "what is the dumbest thing you can say that will look good on paper and still devistate our case"

EA should be happy if they get a partial ruling in their favor but if its handle only by a judge and there is no Civil jury. I can not see this going well for them. EAs only option may be completely opposite of bpd's suggestion. Completely remove the roster editor. We can all be left with a version of college football like this


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHL92lnD5gQ

[soxnut1018]

Quote: Originally Posted by cparrish

Somebody can use my likeness all they want in return for me getting my college paid for so when I graduate, I do not have to endure 5-15 years of paying off college loans like every other college student.

Were you a top 0.1% level athlete who earned millions for your school?

[Jeff George]

Quote: Originally Posted by guitar4468

I'm still confused why we can see a player on TV, on interviews, highlights for TV, Magazines, etc. Yet their name or likeness in a video game is over the lines?

That's the crux of the lawsuit, the idea that all of those things are actually "over the line" and constitute unlawful use of player likenesses.

Quote: Originally Posted by lowercasecurtis

This Greg Shaheen seems like one greedy douche. Likeness is being added illegally, please, it's not like the game is being hacked to add in names. All I'm reading is "we (NCAA) aren't getting even more money than we already are, and we clearly need more money so I, I mean we, can buy a new yacht." I still believe this lawsuit isn't so much about the players getting paid but NCAA execs lining their pockets.

The lawsuit was filed against the NCAA--it's trying to get this lawsuit thrown out. In the 2007 e-mail quoted by that article, Shaheen (who no longer works for the NCAA) is arguing that schools, not the NCAA, could be making more money off licensing if they allowed more permissive use of player likenesses.

The NCAA isn't a business. It's an organization made up of representatives from the member schools. It makes most of its money off the broadcast rights to the men's basketball tournament, most of which it then distributes back to the schools. It makes essentially nothing (other than something like $500,000 for licensing) off I-A football. Those multi-billion dollar contracts are between the networks and the conferences.

The president of the NCAA makes $1.6 million a year, which is on par with what the top athletic directors make. In other words, if you're trying to get rich as an NCAA executive, you're in the wrong line of work.

Quote: Originally Posted by BadAssHskr

let's face it, things like sambo keller, and other are used up, dried out, failed, has beens looking for a buck and a chance to pretend they matter one last time in their pathetic existence.

Oscar Robertson and Bill Russell are part of this lawsuit.

Quote: Originally Posted by BA2929

For some reason, I have a feeling this won't even reach a trial. It'll get settled out of court with O'Bannon and Keller getting a little money (that they couldn't earn in the NBA/NFL because they weren't any good and that's why they're even doing this), and EA giving money to NCAA scholarships.

It's a class-action lawsuit, which means that if they lose, the NCAA/EA has to pay damages to all people "harmed," which would include every collegiate player whose likeness has been used in an EA game. If O'Bannon and Keller were only in it for themselves, the last thing they would do would be to make this a class-action lawsuit.

[jseward92]

Quote: Originally Posted by Jeff George

The NCAA isn't a business.

This is where you lost me.

[Pielet]

Quote: Originally Posted by cparrish

Somebody can use my likeness all they want in return for me getting my college paid for so when I graduate, I do not have to endure 5-15 years of paying off college loans like every other college student.

The NCAA likeness clause they force the students to sign gives them their likeness for "this universe and any an all other universes". That seem reasonable to you? You're falling for this deception. You "getting your college paid" is a one year contract. You suck, guess what, bye bye college being paid for. You're injured? Oh sucks to be you, bye bye scholarship.

The NCAA deserves this. They've been running a massive business enterprise in the guise of "student athletes". No different than the "charity" tax exempt bowl enterprise.

[Bolt957]

In a way, I don't think Sam Keller wins anyway because the NCAA, themselves, uses these players' identities and likenesses and they've NEVER been payed. So why target the video game company? He should be going at the NCAA. But either way, I think it's a lost for him, regardless.

[thedudedominick]

Let's be honest with all of this, it's not like the NCAA or the colleges themselves actually make money unless it involves one of a handful of programs. When UConn has to eat the money lost in tickets unsold for a BCS bowl just so the sponsors can pocket most of the money we have an issue. Very few football programs actually make money for the university, and if they had to pay these 85 guys to be there they would just fold the program due to lack of funds.

I agree with others, the players don't need more money than they are already getting. Why should they get to live better than most college students when they just happened to be blessed with athletic ability not given to other people. If nothing else just allow these players to work for reasonable wages like most students around campus.

Another thing, how could the NCAA justify paying players for the likenesses. It would just lead to the big schools getting bigger and the small schools shutting down their programs. If the NCAA forced colleges to give every player the same amount smaller programs could never afford it. Even worse if they allow the schools to pay players based on the amount of money brought in it will widen the gap that already exists between the haves and have nots of the college sports world.