Football legend Brown sues EA, Sony over Madden

I have a lot of respect for Jim Brown, and I think I understand why he might be doing this. If a retired player who was not a member of the players union and therefore is not eligible for royalty payments, as are players who are part of the union, they leave EA Sports and the players union et. al. 2 options if they win. Option 1, they have to drop all the historic players. Option 2 is my guess as to what Mr. Brown is doing here. The second option would be to allow retired players a portion of the royalties from using their likeness even though the union did not exist. Jim Brown is not a poor disabled man, but there are plenty of poor, disabled, retired NFL players that were not part of the union, and he has a history of doing things in support of them. I think people are looking at this as a possible frivolous lawsuit, and I get that, but it is likely that he's not really doing this for himself, and that he's on the side of all the retired NFL players from his era, who have no pensions, recieve no medical benefit from injuries they incurred while playing, and have generally been treated rather poorly by the players union in general. This action could force the players union and EA's hand a bit. Just wanted to give an alternative reason why he might be seeking this lawsuit. I don't think it has anything to do with attacking gamers.

wow. someone burnt though the money they made in the past.

He's just looking at a way to get some quick riches. A ton of idiots seem to do something like this nowadays.

I'm sure each and every day Jim Brown paces the floor of his house with the concern that every body playing Madden will be playing as RB #32. It must keep him up at night and caused him to pay for a shrink which is why he is going broke. He is most liklely upset his speed, agility, awareness, Stiff arm and break tackle are not 200. Cause he was that much better than any one who ever played in the NFL.

"Did I miss something here? Sony didn't develop the game, why they hell are they being sued by a doofas............for the umpteenth time?" ^^^^^^READ^^^^^^

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[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

[This message was deleted at the request of the original poster]

He's suing Cleveland too for using the name 'Browns' as the team name. Everyone knows the team was originally called the Cleveland Jim Browns. He's going to sue over every position player on the Browns. The question is... what the F' is he suing over? His number in the game? How is that damaging him? He was a member of the NFL and Cleveland Browns and all they are using are the numbers... not names and likenesses. I bet what Jim Brown is really pissed off about... is that he turned down 2K's money to be in All Pro FB 2K8 and it was probably a nice chunk of change... (more than any other player got offered most likely) and now he still somewhat ends up in Madden as a 'Legend' team player or whatever and it's really burning up his arse hairs after turning down 2K's $$$ offer.

Phoenicks is right, its a mute point that college football games do the exact same thing, because collegiate atheletes aren't able to receive endorsements or any income related to their perfomances as atheletes. Once a player receives gifts or money for their respected sport, he or she is atomatically deemed a proffessional an thus no longer eligible to play collegiate sports. As for Jim goes, he is just old and needin' the cash.

old stars seek revival in a world where no one cares about them, next at 11

Just another post-career cast off trying to dust off the old ego. Once hes dead they will be able to use his likeness all they want and he wont be able to object. Hell five hundred years from now, no one will even remember he existed.

The NCAA has regulations that state that you can't appear in a video game while an eligible player. That's why you only have numbers to identify athletes and players that have gone pro on covers. If a college player sued for the use of their likeness, it would be in direct violation of rules set by the NCAA.

Hey, you old racist fossil, no one cares about you anymore! Go embarrass yourself on radio some more, like your boy John Thompson. Case dismissed!

Another day, another lawsuit. Welcome to the modern gaming industry.

just change the #32 to something else and this problem should go away

Captain Dynamic sums it up right there. Now NCAA players are gonna go nuts over how they arent potrayed, in the example of this case.

captain u got it right! they do the exact same thing for ncaa games so if this works we may never see them again. this is rediculous. you would think people would want to have themselves in one of the most popular games of all time. can you say conceited???

Never knew that even American Football players where fanboys too.

So can every college player ever file a lawsuit against EA for college games??

He cant handle the fame!!!!!!!! What a wimp!!!!!

Funny how only Sony is named on the file suit and not the other console companies....

I love Jim Brown - the GOAT in TWO sports - but I don't see where he's coming from. Unless his player in Madden looks EXACTLY like him, I don't see what he can prove here. He doesn't own the number 32 - the Browns do. If the Cleveland Browns allowed an African American-looking football player wearing #32 into the game at running back, so be it. What's next: Brett Favre suing for being on the cover of '09, despite not being a Packer (currently)?

I side with Jim Brown on this one. That's too obvious what they have done stealing his likeness and putting it into a game without his consent. I always like Mr. Brown. He was a great football player and he loved MMA from the beginning. I remember him doing the color commentating on the old UFCs. He didn't try to drown the listener in random talk. He just stuck with the bare necessities. Good luck to him.

Brown just needs to top up his coffers I think, maybe he needs cash

All EA has to do is make the guy white in the game

Normally I'd agree this is frivolous... But it's Madden and EA we're talking about, here. They don't get nearly as much heat as they deserve for monopolizing the market on football games or their lazy attitude toward improving features. This suit has nothing to do with that, obviously, but whatever. Give em hell, Jim Brown.

I like Jim Brown but this is really stupid though.

This is completely ridiculous!!! Jim Brown is being a punk about this whole thing. He should feel honored that he is in the game. This is a classic case of someone suing to make a quick buck. Is he hurting for money or something. A better question is, why is he so concerned with Madden 01 now, it came out 8 years ago!!!

What an IDIOT!!!!!

Are you kidding me? I hope EA pwns Brown back to the 70s.

yeah, cuz EA of all companies is going to comply with letting go the profits of it's best franchise. EA. It's frickin' EA.

Too many people sue for stupid things.

He wont win. He has no case. The fact that he was number 32 and they have a player that the position marrets no infraction. Just look at NCAA Football. This would mean each and every player in any NCAA football game would have a claim of "Misusing there image"

He's right Everyone knows that they're playing as Jim Brown, if you don't know who Jim Brown is you have no business playing this game. Either pay the man or take him out of the game, simple as that.

Call him Smokey the Bear cuz EA just got burned!

He picking out Sony because he can't play his PS2 Madden games on his PS3

who the hell is Jim Brown?? im kidding.

lot of people getting sues this year

Just when almost everyone who remembered Jim Brown playing professional football almost forgot, this yahoo has to speak. Being the best of the worst is SUCH a great title to hold. You think Sweetness is rolling in the grave for the "faceless" player that represented him in Tecmo Bowl? PAH-leez

Too bad Jim Brown is a douche.

Someone call 911 for a "Wahhhmbulance"..please..:P..:D

As much as I love and respect what Jim Brown has done for American football; this is about as low as he can go. ...I don't know what else to say, other than I'm very disappointed in him.

WTF, why is Sony singled out for having the Madden games on its consoles? That is seriouesly messed up when Madden is released on seven consoles every friggin year.

[QUOTE="Cwallaceyankees"] Should the linemen from the ALL-Browns team be making money too? Can anyone name one of them? [/QUOTE] Gene Hickerson, RG, NFL Hall of Fame (CIass of 2007) Monte Clark, RT -- (later became Detroit Lions' HC) John Wooten, LG (similar name to UCLA's famous HC) That's 3 of 5 OL, w/o using a reference and I'm too young to have seen them play a down. So, where's my cookie?

Hello, Brown?... Jim Brown?.... You're a jerk. A complete kneebiter.

If this was any one other than Jim I would say "this is stupid" But since it is Jim I will say... NO COMMENT