'Big Dawg' vs. Madden lawsuit dismissed
According to a report on Cleveland.com, the lawsuit filed against Electronic Arts by Cleveland Browns fan John "Big Dawg" Thompson has been dismissed. The suit had been filed on the grounds that EA featured Thompson's likeness in Madden NFL 09 without his permission. More specifically, the game featured the likeness of Thompson wearing a dog mask and orange hat, a costume he's worn to Cleveland Browns home games for years.
Thompson's lawyer, Alan Parker, noted that his client was happy the matter was closed, but noted that details of the dismissal are confidential. Thompson had been seeking damages "in excess of $25,000," so that's one thing he might be happy about. If his Big Dawg mask is sporting some gold teeth and a diamond encrusted hat during the next Browns home game, we'll know for sure.
