Jonathan Newton / The Washington Post via Getty Images(WASHINGTON) — Washington Redskins wide receiver Pierre Garcon, through his attorneys, filed a class-action lawsuit against daily fantasy sports company FanDuel, accusing them of improperly exploiting the identities and performance of professional football players without their permission.
The suit does not name FanDuel’s competitor DraftKings as a defendant because that company has a marketing deal with the National Football League through which it can use NFL players in its advertising. A statement from law firms Murray Murphy Moul + Basil LLP and Bail Glass LLP announced the suit. In that statement, the firms claim that FanDuel “knowingly and improperly exploits the popularity and performance of Garcon, along with all the other National Football League players at offensive skilled positions without their authority or a valid license.”
The suit also accuses FanDuel of using names and likenesses of NFL players without authorization.
Garcon said in a statement that he filed the lawsuit “on behalf of myself as well as any other players who are being treated unjustly.” Garcon adds that he has been advised by his attorneys not to address the subject while the case is pending.
FanDuel responded in a statement of their own Friday, saying that the “believe this suit is without merit.”
“There is established law that fantasy operators may use player names and statistics for fantasy contests,” FanDuel adds.
Copyright © 2015, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
