NFL Legend to EA -- What Can You Do for Brown?

Hall of Fame football legend Jim Brown says game-makers are out of bounds for using his likeness in one of their video games, and wants some coin for it.

Brown doesn't say which game exactly, but alleges in a lawsuit that a character in one of EA's football games "looks like him," wears the same number -- 32 -- and plays on a team called the All-Brown team, (referring to his team, the Cleveland Browns -- no relation.) He wants Sony and EA to quit getting a "free ride" from his name and seeks unspecified damages.

Sony and EA didn't comment.

Reader Comments

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1. I've been involved with several Celebrity Events that Jim Brown has been at and he is definitely the ANGRY BLACK MAN!! He won't sign an autograph unless he is getting paid for it!! I don't mean paid for his appearance only but he won't sign unless he is getting paid for EACH autograph too...He is very racist towards whites and is a MISERABLE MAN to be around....

Posted at 9:33AM on Aug 1st 2008 by Ned

2. A total whiner from day one. He black, you know.....

Posted at 9:47AM on Aug 1st 2008 by Luke Warmwater

3. TO NED AND LUKE WARMWATER HE IS MISERABLE BECAUSE HE CAN'T ACT. WHEN YOU CAN'T ACT. YOU DON'T GET PAID.

Posted at 10:03AM on Aug 1st 2008 by daddy o

4. Jim Brown was one of the best! He deserves remuneration if the likeness is as close as described.

I loved him in I'm Gonna Get You Sucka!

Posted at 10:03AM on Aug 1st 2008 by marleyfu

5. The man is a legend. Pay him. I admire few people. Jim Brown is one of them. Trip Hawkins, pay Jim Brown.

Posted at 10:04AM on Aug 1st 2008 by Stevo

6. If Jim wins his case the NCAA and EA Sports and 2k better watch out. These games have been using the likeness of college basketball players and their jesrsey numbers on games for years. They use the same height, wheight, player postiona and race. But, they dont use the players name- because, ya know, these guys are "amatures" These college kids dont see a dime from these multi-million dollar companies.

Posted at 10:11AM on Aug 1st 2008 by MrEKO

7.
didn't realize a brown man playing a
sport wearing a jersey warrants a likeness.

they ALL look the same.........

Posted at 11:33AM on Aug 1st 2008 by john wayne gacy

8. The games by EA are licensed from the NFL and also by the NCAA so they are used with permission. 2k Sports games do not have the licenses so they are the ones who uses the likeness of the players without using their names. Also, the games are on Xbox and Sony Playstation. Going after the gaming companies is stupid because they are not the ones who put out the games. He should maybe do some research about these first before filing a lawsuit since he's actually suing the wrong game company.

Posted at 11:37AM on Aug 1st 2008 by Beebs

9. I hate when rich people steal from other rich people!

Posted at 12:03PM on Aug 1st 2008 by Crabby

10. The reason EA does not use names but numbers for games like NCAA and in Madden the All (insert team name here) teams is so they do not have to pay them for using their likenesses

Posted at 12:51PM on Aug 1st 2008 by horhay

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