EA Sports has decided to settle the lawsuit led by former UCLA star Ed O’Bannon for $60 million dollars, for using the names and likenesses of college athletes in their video games.
According to ESPN.com, the suit included 24,819 players that appeared in EA Sports games between 2013 and 2014. The majority of the plaintiffs will receive around $1600, but Ed O’Bannon and former Rutgers QB Ryan Hart will receive $15,000 each. Twenty-One other players will receive $5000 each for being class action representatives.
The lawyers representing the case will receive the largest share – 30 percent of the total settlement.
The suit was originally filed by Ed O’Bannon eventually led to the discontinuation of the EA college sports games for all platforms.
Many EA Sports video game fans have been yearning for the return of the EA college sports franchise and this may signal the first step in the process. If EA can take the lessons learned from this legal battle and create new content that does not infringe on players, perhaps new games are possible.
On the other hand, this $60 million payout may be the final nail in the coffin for EA Sports’ affiliation with college athletics.