Take Me Out to the Courthouse · Who Owns the Game?
The Old-Timers' Complaint
Gionfriddo v. Major League Baseball (2001)
Charge: Misappropriation of name and likeness (suit against Major League Baseball)Court: California Court of Appeal, First DistrictDocket: Who Owns the Game?
Can a league use former players' names, stats and images in historical accounts of the game without paying them?
The facts
A group of retired players who had played in the 1930s and 1940s found their names, statistics, photos and old game footage in league media guides, game programs and websites. They had never been paid or asked for permission. They sued the league under the state's right-of-publicity laws, saying their identities were being used to help sell baseball. The league said it was simply telling the history of the game.
You have the facts the court had. Guilty or not guilty? Call it in the game with your friends, then see what the court actually decided. Wrong call, you drink.
Citation: Gionfriddo v. Major League Baseball, 94 Cal. App. 4th 400, 114 Cal. Rptr. 2d 307 (2001)
Read more at lexplug.com. The source reveals the outcome.