Court Moving Forward With Madden Lawsuit

A lawsuit against Electronic Arts over the unauthorized use of player likenesses in Madden NFL 09 is going forward.

In August 2010, a class of 6,000 retired NFL players sued the publisher for using their likeness without permission in the game's 140 historic teams. EA filled a motion to dismiss the case, but a California judge denied it in a ruling yesterday.

The lead plaintiffs include Tony Davis, former running back for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Vince Ferragamo, former quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams, and Billy Joe DuPree, former tight end for the Dallas Cowboys.

EA is arguing it's allowed to use former players' likenesses without compensation under California law and the First Amendment.

Game Informer has contacted Electronic Arts for comment.