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Two Gamers File Class Action Lawsuit Against Electronic Arts

By Chris Bennett, Tudor Carsten, Michael R. Coburn, Sarah Dale-Harris, Pablo Guzman, Danielle (Dani) Lemon, Chris Metcalfe and David Spratley

The claim alleges that Electronic Arts' exclusive rights agreement with the NFL, NCAA football and the Arena Football League, which grants EA the sole right to publish games featuring the thoe leagues' teams, players and stadiums, amounts to "blatantly anticompetitive conduct".

How so, you might ask yourself, given that other publishers are free to make football video games? Counsel for the plaintiffs acknowledges this, but argues that there isn't a "market for interactive football that is not based on real players and teams."

The claimants seek "restitution and damages for those who purchased an Electronic Arts football game since August of 2005, disgorgement of all profits made as a result of anticompetitive actions, and that the infringing agreements be declared null and void."

Coverage at: SF Gate and Cinemablend

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Full post as published by Video Game Law Blog on July 15, 2008 (boomark / email).