NFL PLAYERS Counters CBS Fantasy Suit
The marketing branch of the NFL Players Association has filed a countersuit against CBS Sports over the issue of licensing fees for fantasy information.
In its filing, NFL PLAYERS reportedly contends that CBS Interactive sued in the wrong jurisdiction and named the wrong defendant, the NFLPA. The initial suit was filed in federal court in Minneapolis, which resides in the Eighth Circuit.
NFL PLAYERS filed the countersuit in federal court in Miami, citing the location of CBS Sports’ headquarters in Fort Lauderdale. The setting for the case could be significant because the Eighth Circuit was where favorable ruling for fantasy provider CBC kept Major League Baseball from charging licensing fees for use of player names and statistics in fantasy games, a decision that was appealed all the way to the Supreme Court before justices refused to hear it. The swath of the Midwest included in the Eighth Circuit is also particularly densely populated by fantasy sports businesses.
Representatives from the Players Association say they believe the use of the players’ information in fantasy games infringes on their rights without compensating them. CBS Sports already works under licenses for features such as player photos that run on individual player pages but is seeking an official ruling to disallow the attempted collection of fees for using names and statistics.
Tags: cbs sports, eighth circuit, fantasy football, fantasy sports, fantasy sports business, fantasy sports industry, football, mlbam v. cbc, nfl, nfl players, nflpa, supreme court
