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Judge Dismisses Ed O’Bannon’s Grievance Against EA Sports in 2009 Licensing Case

The game is over for Ed O'Bannon's licensing complaint against EA Sports.

According to the SportsBusiness Journal, Judge Claudia Wilken for the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California dismissed a complaint against EA Sports in O'Bannon's licensing case.

The former UCLA star power forward filed a lawsuit against EA Sports, the NCAA and the College Licensing Company in 2009 on the grounds they were using his image and likeness without his consent. O'Bannon served as the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit, representing several other NCAA Division I men's basketball and football players that joined in on the suit.

"This purported conspiracy involves Defendants' concerted action to require all current student-athletes to sign forms each year that purport to require each of them to relinquish all rights in perpetuity for use of their images, likenesses and/or names and to deny compensation 'through restrictions in the NCAA Bylaws," Judge Wilken's ruling read. "The Consolidated Amended Complaint, however, does not contain any allegations to suggest that EA agreed to participate in this conspiracy."

O'Bannon's claims against the NCAA and the College Licensing Company will continue to proceed in district court.