Ｇｏｋｕ　ｔｏｔａｌｌｙ　ｂｉｔ　ｍｙ　ｓｔｙｌｅ，　Ｉ　ｗａｎｔ　ｕｎｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｅｄ　ｄａｍａｇｅｓ　ｆｏｒ　ｃｈａｒａｃｔｅｒ　ｄｅｆａｍａｔｉｏｎ．

PsycheE

I guess he has never played a game of NCAA. If he had, he would know that it has always been common practice for EA to use the numbers and positions of players that they don't have naming rights to for the games and obviously they have already checked the legality of said practice.

ceilingFANBOY

@exion: Please note it also stars Rip Torn!

Luke Plunkett

Luke delivers :D

I'm almost tempted to check that movie out, it looks shocking!

exion

@mhlaxp, Luke Plunkett: Thanks a bunch! I'm gonna be stylin' now! >_>

Saint Anima

@Saint Anima: Wallpaper?

[kotaku.com]

Luke Plunkett

So what does Sony have to with this lawsuit? Seriously?

DARTH_TIGRIS

@mhlaxp: 17x507?

isobelle

Lazer-beam Shotguns!!!! Sweet!!!

Gantz: Your Trusted Friend in Science.

@Nik in NOLA: clarification.

"Barry Bonds....took himself out of the MLBPA licensing agreement."

Nik in NOLA

@BStu: I am gonna have to agree with you after all in the sports world a players number is their identity I mean they do retire numbers when some players retire.

taftsearlobe33

@JCVD: It also likely has the same vitals (height, weight, etc). Considering the number was retired and no other Cleveland RB wore 32, there's really no question that RB #32 on the all-time Browns roster is Jim Brown. It's sort of a muddy area, since its clearly intended to be him (sort of like how LB 51 from the Bears is Butkus, or QB 12 from the Jets is Namath).

Bonds had a similar claim against games when he took himself out of the union, and games were forced to completely redo who the LF for the SF Giants was and looked like. I believe 2K turned him into a white switch hitter, but kept the player ratings similar to what Bonds would have been. Really, kind of strange the article wouldn't at least reference this since it isn't the first time we've seen claims like this concerning sports games or merchandise. I believe there's also been some claims against various NCAA merchandising over the same thing.

Nik in NOLA

Unwarranted Self Importance. Nuff said.

FP_slomo788

Pretty ridiculous.

SolidEyeSystem

Wow. Is this dude REALLY that stupid? Or was he just drunk?

Amazon_Chris

@mhlaxp: Actually I got really lazy all of a sudden. So enjoy.

mhlaxp

sony and ea??? why isnt he suing microsoft? they have madden too...stupid racist person not suing them dirty americans...

bobdisgea

I don't know. I'm actually curious to see how this goes. I think EA might have pushed their luck giving the "obviously Jim Brown but we're not saying so" Jim Brown's actual number. I think a valid argument could be made that it clearly identifies the character as Jim Brown. Not sure it'd win in a legal case, but this does make for an interesting case.

Don't scoff at Brown's notion that his likeness has a value. It clearly does, or EA wouldn't have gone to such lengths to suggest him in the game. If his likeness has value, and he controls his likeness, why shouldn't he get paid when someone wants to trade off that value? EA could have avoided this VERY easily and its not like they don't deal with this all of the time in other sports titles.

BStu

I have to say he has a pretty good case. There are only about 3 black players in the entire NFL and the number 32 was retired on all teams back in '89.

Just kidding. I was wondering how it felt to be so full of shit that it started coming out my eyes. It was unpleasant.

blind_assassin

@Saint Anima: What's your resolution of choice?

mhlaxp

It's a black football player with his number...the real question is...how the hell you gonna remove his "likeness" from the game? You'd have to remove every African American running back from the game or prevent player created characters from being able to make an African American running back. Then some white guy is gonna sue because he played HS football with that number...same position...holy crap, EA IS GOING DOWN, BITCHES!

JCVD

Dear lord, that image is hilarious.

Irafe

Yes just because you know the player is him why should he get any money for it?

endaround

Jim Brown and EA settle out of court, agreeing to start production of a new Slaughter game.

I'm preordering that the day they announce it.

mhlaxp

Oh man...I need a wallpaper of that image for my desktop. Pronto.

Saint Anima

...nothing to see here. Thrown out in a maximum of 2-3 weeks.

SpishackCola

. . .

i can't help but laugh.
that image is epic... and this lawsuit is retarded.

flight240

Little men with too little to care about...

Ibramgaunt

unspecified damages for trademark infringement

I'm very curious about this part.

mfwahwah

lolwut

Thugmunk

Someone thinks a little too highly of themselves... or is in need of money

roguemarvel

Hahahahaha. That is all.

Wolfers

"How much for a rib?"

KaneRobot

How in god's name is sony involved? What a douche.

RaepGoblin

Uhhh....damages?

topgunner87

@MisterMcThursday:

Because he's not just going after EA, he's going after Sony, which leaves the question why he isn't going after Microsoft as well? Everything about the case is against sony so he and his lawyers either don't understand the game business at all, or they are pushing their luck and going for PR and/or paydirt.

gpturismo

why are you guys railing on a guy who is obviously getting his likeness ripped off and not getting paid for it when EA is banking on the game? are you daft?

MisterMcThursday

@PsycheE: We get it already, you're too cool for the standard font.

wild_world_girl

@gpturismo:
probably because he doesnt understand the industry yet. I am sure once his lawyers sniff more money they will sue others or narrow it down to EA, the company that should be sued. Players are paid, he wasnt and should...end of story imo.

MisterMcThursday

Sony's involved because the game was released on their system. Nintendo and MS will eventually be added into the suit if it isn't outright dismissed. They're on the lead because the game sold the bulk of its copies on the PS2 that year (believe the PS2 version was number 3 on the year according to NPD).

Nik in NOLA

@NeVeRMoRe666: Then again, who would want to play as me playing video games?

(cries...)

NeVeRMoRe666

I, personally, would be flattered that people would want to play as me in a video game.

Then again, I lead a sad existence...

NeVeRMoRe666

Lamest.ever.infringement.claim. I hope EA/Sony nailed his ass to the wall to show everyone else that you can't fudge infringement claim like this and get away with it.

ksins5

I vote they change the skin color to white, leave the number alone, and add the following as the name on the jersey: "Not Jim Brown"

Purple Dave

I'm sure Brown and his lawyers are hoping for a settlement. No matter how slim their chances of winning might be, it could be very expensive for EA if they have to pull the game, so there's a real chance to hope EA will throw money at this to make it go away.

beeporama (brian.j.parker)

This lawsuit from the same Jim Brown who convinced Maurice Clarett to sue the NFL for early admission? This guy doesn't learn from others' mistakes even after he helps them along.

What a douche =/

y5

Well said, I agree wholeheartedly:

Nik in NOLA @JCVD: It also likely has the same vitals (height, weight, etc). Considering the number was retired and no other Cleveland RB wore 32, there's really no question that RB #32 on the all-time Browns roster is Jim Brown. It's sort of a muddy area, since its clearly intended to be him (sort of like how LB 51 from the Bears is Butkus, or QB 12 from the Jets is Namath).

velvet396

@BStu: There IS no likeness. That's like saying "all black people look the same" cos they're black.

I'm not saying you're saying that, but he doesn't own the number, and unless he's saying every generic black character model looks like him, there's no likeness.

Billkwando

@PsycheE:

Goku bit your style? I'm not sure how that's possible.

The_Crotchinator

All I could think when looking at that pic was:

You can't spell slaughter without laughter!

Raziel66

@Billkwando:

Except there is. The jersey's retired, there was only one notible #32 in the franchise, and the alleged infringment in the game is the RB with his number on the all-Cleveland Browns team.

I'm not saying there's a GOOD case, but there is enough of a likeness for anyone who knows anything about football history to instantly say "oh RB32 from Cleveland's alltime team is Jim Brown" in the same sense that anyone would be able to identify who SG 23 on the alltime Bulls roster is.

Nik in NOLA

@wild_world_girl: Except it was the only time font got changed, I have to switch language input on the fly for my work and it does quirk out when you have three different browser types open.

Who are you?

PsycheE