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The man regarded by many as the greatest player in football history is not happy with a video game football player that he says is based on him.
Jim Brown, who led the NFL in rushing eight times in nine seasons with the Cleveland Browns, filed a lawsuit claiming that Sony and Electronic Arts are using his name and likeness without his permission.
According to Brown, a player in a video game that Sony and EA sell looks like him, wears No. 32 like him, is “a muscular African American player” and plays on the All Brown’s Team. Brown wants damages and an injunction barring the companies from “taking a free ride on the trade value” of Brown’s name and image.
The suit notes that Brown, as an active player, couldn’t have agreed to having his image used in a video game because when he played video games didn’t exist.
August 1st, 2008 at 10:08 am
I guess his acting career didn’t take off as well as he thought it would.
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Rating: 4.25 / 5 with 13 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:08 am
Besides, they didnt get permission to display his patented wife-beating moves.
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Rating: 4.55 / 5 with 16 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:10 am
Oh get real guy this is an fn joke! the game doesnt use his name it uses “HIS” number which belongs to the Cleveland Browns. Didnt he make enough money playing? These are pathetic times we’re living in
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Rating: 3.5 / 5 with 11 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:11 am
get over yourself jb its a game so what your likeness was used it will not affect your life what so ever this is typical b.s. sue somebody just because you can
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 12 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:13 am
Come on now. I’m sure the other 21 starters for the All-Browns team could say the same thing. He should be taking it as a huge compliment to be in the game on the All-Time team, but instead he’s trying to cash in on it. Want kind of “damages” could this possibly be causing?
…It’s better than reading another Brett Favre story, though.
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Rating: 4.2 / 5 with 12 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:15 am
Welcome to the new america..
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:23 am
I don’t think Jim is going to win this one. The “muscular African American” arguement seems a little thin to me.
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Rating: 3.8 / 5 with 11 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:26 am
Since the posting doesn’t say… Is this in the Madden game? The game has been around 20 years now and Jim Brown just now found out that there’s a “muscular African-American” wearing #32 on the All-Browns team? Has he lived in a bubble the past 2 decades? This is ridiculous, all of those All-time teams in Madden they display the numbers (with no names) of all the older players. He must just need $ or something.
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Rating: 4.2 / 5 with 10 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:32 am
A muscular African-American player with the number 32. That pretty much sums up every player in the league with the number 32.
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Rating: 4.45 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:35 am
brett favre - who’s that?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 3 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:38 am
I don’t know that he has a case, but he does have a point. It’s obvious who number 32 on the all time Browns team would represent. They pay Players, Inc for the rights to use current player names. I think an argument could be made that they don’t use the names on the all time teams because they’re trying to keep from having to pay those older players who aren’t included in the Players Inc agreement.
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Rating: 4.15 / 5 with 6 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:44 am
Dang it! Someone beat me to the “wife-beating” joke! Crap! I must be slow today or a lot busier than all the other working people posting on here!
Jim Brown = Wife Beater is the same as Brett Favre = Indecisive
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:46 am
i agree. I’m suprised any judge in the world is willing to hear this case.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:47 am
i’m gonna sue john madden for stealing my image and likeness when he decided to go with “fat white guy” as his normal appearance
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Rating: 4.45 / 5 with 7 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:51 am
What does Sony have to do with this?
They aren’t affiliated with EA are they? They basically can’t settle out of court because it would set a horrble precedent and every all star would be suing.
How does Jim Brown have the rights to a muscular african american appearance or the #32?
Ex-College players could do the same thing if he wins..
Im sure EA is totally covered on this one but id still like to hear from Florio in his Lawyer suit.
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:54 am
Holy Crap- Lets be real for a second, everyone listen to how ridiculous you sound… You dont think J. Brown, arguably the best running back in NFL history has a right to say when/how his name/likeness is used? In this day and age? When team/player marketing is more lucrative than its ever been? When guys are signing 9 figure endorsement deals? When the gaming industry is passing the movie industry in profitability?
Do you think if an NBA game came out that featured an all Bulls team and a 6′6″ African American who wears #23 was on their, Jordan wouldn’t have something to say about it? or Tiger woods in someones golf game? Well you get the point…
Its his name, and career, he should be able to say yes or no to how its used, especially if someone is making money off of it.
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Rating: 2.75 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 10:58 am
I could maybe see Jim’s point if #32 had on a green beanie… or was it a fez? No one else would wear that…
By the way… anyone NOT going to buy it if they take muscular african american running back out of the game?
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:05 am
I wonder why just Sony.
Electronic Arts made the game, so I can see why he’s suing them if he’s suing anyone. Sony made it available on one of their platforms, but so did Microsoft and Nintendo…maybe they’ll be added later?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 1 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:06 am
Jim Brown… a guy who was bigger than his o-linemen, yet faster than most defensive backs. Also famous for his violent outbursts at home.
And Browns fans have the NERVE to talk about other teams’ players using steroids?
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Rating: 3 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:07 am
Before we put any fiture athelte on a pedewstal we need to take note. Fram Jim Brown to Brett Favre they all get this sense of diefication that makes each a pain in the ass for the rest of their natural lives.
AAs a side note, after all he has done lately, I’m surprised the Packers want to identify the Packer franchise with Favre for the next ten years. That and the fact that he looks like an unkempt slob in any venue.
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Rating: 2.8 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:13 am
Must not have seen his own name on the news lately. Better ways to get mentioned on the news, worse ways as well. Don’t see too many “muscular African-American” players in football anymore, do we JB?
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Rating: 4 / 5 with 4 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:15 am
I’m going to sue EA too. In the Madden crowd, at the Linc , they put a fat, white, drunk looking dude in my seat. I demand compensation for my likeness.
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Rating: 3.8 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:17 am
LOL…every player from every “All-Madden” team could make the same claim. I guess it’s a testament to the evolution of graphics that Brown didn’t realize he was depicted in 40 pixels in Madden ‘92.
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Rating: 4.2 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am
I will try and play devils-advocate here:
See Jim Brown is right because…….
You see a muscular african american is rare…..
The courts……
If the glove doesn’t fit……
I got nothing, JB is a douche.
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Rating: 3.4 / 5 with 5 rating(s)
August 1st, 2008 at 11:22 am
I also think its funny that current players and coaches can opt out of being included in these games. Bill Bilichick or Bill Parcels are never in Madden games. They are typically listed as NE Coach or something like that.
BeerCur: “I’m going to sue EA too. In the Madden crowd, at the Linc , they put a fat, white, drunk looking dude in my seat. I demand compensation for my likeness. “If this is the case, you’re probably not the only Philadelphian with a lawsuit.
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Rating: 2.35 / 5 with 3 rating(s)