Oscar Robertson, 2 Others Sue NCAA Over Use Of Images
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS) -- NBA hall-of-famer Oscar Robertson has joined a lawsuit against the NCAA, charging that they sold his likeness and memorabilia without his permission.
Robertson, who spent 14 years in the NBA with the former Cincinnati Royals and the Milwaukee Bucks, says he found fans walking up and asking him to autograph trading cards showing him as a player with the University of Cincinnati and in some cases, a swath of his "game jersey."
Robertson, 72, told Yahoo Sports he never approved the use of his likeness for the items, and later found out that the NCAA had signed licensing deals with the companies that made the trading carsd without his direct consent. The NCAA claims it has the right to control any player's likeness in perpetuity, Yahoo Sports reported.
Also suing are former University of Connecticut basketball player Tate George, and former Ohio State University player Ray Ellis.
George's buzzer-beating against Clemson shot in the 1990 NCAA tournament has been resold in DVD form and featured in several commercials, Yahoo Sports reported. Games in which Ellis played appear in commemorative DVDs and are being rebroadcast on the Big Ten Network, Yahoo Sports reported.
The lawsuit claims that by claiming the right to control former players' likenesses forever, the NCAA "has illegally deprived former student-athletes" from "myriad revenue streams," according to Yahoo Sports.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court, in the Northern District of California.
