A federal jury awarded a former programmer with $11 million due to royalty infringement, says Frenkel & Frenkel.

EA Sports has suffered several setbacks recently, with a lawsuit filed by current and former college players regarding the use of their names and likenesses without compensation, and the announcement that the NCAA will drop its partnership with EA Sports.  Recently, a federal jury awarded the original programmer of Madden NFL with an $11 million plus interest damage award. Creator of First Madden NFL Robin Antonick was the original programmer on the first Madden NFL, and was replaced soon after the game was produced.  According to court documents, Antonick claims that games produced after the first version used his design and his work.  Because the subsequent game used Antonick’s work, the jury decided that he is owed royalties plus interest on the sale of the games produced through 1996. After 1996 This was the first phase in litigation that addressed games released through 1996, and Antonick’s attorneys feel that the jury’s verdict is a good omen for the next phase of litigation.  In that phase, the courts will address games released from 1997 to the present, which earned revenue over $3 billion for EA Sports. EA Sports Disagrees EA Sports says it is “disappointed” in the jury’s decision and that it plans to appeal the decision.  They also claim that the entire case is related to games produced in the early 90’s and has no bearing on recently released versions of the game.  EA Sports believes that the jury’s decision does not indicate that a decision will be made in Antonick’s favor in the next phase of litigation. When a company uses intellectual property for financial gain and does not provide royalties to the creator of the intellectual property, a claim may be in order.  Contact Dallas-Fort Worth lawyers at Frenkel & Frenkel to schedule a free initial consultation regarding royalty infringement.


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