Dynamic Accident Lawyers: NFL Player Files Publicity Rights Class Action Against FanDuel

On Oct. 30, a publicity rights class action lawsuit was filed against FanDuel Inc., the company behind the popular daily fantasy sports website http://www.fanduel.com.

Plaintiff Pierre Garcon, a player in the National Football League, filed this class action lawsuit alleging that FanDuel profits from his name and publicity without his permission.

“Professional athletes’ names and likenesses are valuable intangible property,” Garcon argues in the FanDuel class action lawsuit. “Defendant FanDuel knowingly and improperly exploits the popularity and accomplishments” of those NFL players, he continues.

FanDuel is a growing fantasy sports website that—for a fee—allows users to choose real sports players to build their own fantasy team, then potentially win money by playing against other fantasy teams. It is called a “daily” fantasy website because users compete for a single game instead of an entire season, and can win money after each game.

The popularity of such daily fantasy sports websites has exploded in recent years. According to the class action lawsuit, FanDuel earned over $56 million in entry fees in 2014, and users won $500 million in cash prizes. And given its growing business, FanDuel believes it will pay out over $2 billion this year.

The publicity rights class action lawsuit contends that FanDuel’s money is earned “on the backs on the backs of NFL players, whose popularity and performance make the Defendant’s commercial daily fantasy football product possible.” All players’ names, images, and biographic information appear on the FanDuel website for users to review and choose from.

This class action lawsuit comes as another blow to FanDuel which, along with its main competitor DraftKings, faces multiple class action lawsuits alleging that the two companies allowed their employees to use algorithms and computer modeling to compete and win money on each others’ websites.

The publicity rights class action lawsuit contends that FanDuel heavily markets the most “dependable” players like Garcon, a successful wide receiver for the Washington Redskins. The complaint alleges that FanDuel relies on recognized players to entice users to play their fantasy sports games, and pay the entry fee.

In addition to his name and likeness on the FanDuel website, the publicity rights class action lawsuit details how Garcon’s name appears on commercial advertising for FanDuel without his permission. The complaint states that FanDuel prominently used Garcon’s name in at least three national commercial advertising campaigns, including one infomercial where Garcon’s name appears 53 times in under 30 minutes.

Garcon filed the publicity rights class action lawsuit on behalf of himself and all other NFL players since 2013 who have been featured on FanDuel. The class action lawsuit asks for damages from Fanduel of over $5 million, as well as an order stopping FanDuel from using players’ names and likenesses without their permission.

Garcon is represented by Brian A. Glasser and Thanos Basdekis of Bailey & Glasser LLP, and Joseph F. Murray, Brian K. Murray, and Geoffrey J. Moul of Murray Murphy Moul & Basil LLP.

The FanDuel Publicity Rights Class Action Lawsuit is Pierre Garcon v. FanDuel Inc., Case No. 8:15-cv-03324-PJM, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland.

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