UFC Fighters Lose Jobs Over THQ Contract Refusal
This is a bit sad to read, even if you don't watch the sport. Jon Fitch and small group of other UFC fighters have all had their contracts with the UFC ended because they refused to sign a lifetime agreement with THQ that would give them exclusive image rights in perpetuity for a series of UFC-based video games.
When Fitch didn't deliver on the "favor" of signing, which White requested, he said he was told "either you're in if you sign this, or you're getting cut." Fitch effectively chose the latter, though he "never thought it was possible" that the UFC would actually release him. On Wednesday, Fitch, 30, received an email from the UFC notifying him that his deal was accelerated and terminated.
This is just shameful behavior on the part of these companies. Nobody should be required to sign away anything for that long, let alone their image. What I'm interested in is why THQ wanted a lifetime contract to begin with. Do they really plan on making UFC games forever? Were they pressuring the UFC for this, or were the UFC just greedy for video game profits? Either way it's highly disturbing, and THQ should take a long hard look at what they've done. They've now harmed the very sport that makes them so much money, and if they have any decency they will publicly condemn this action and rewrite their contracts.
No signature, no fighting [Sports Illustrated]
[via: Kotaku]
Sgt. Sausagepants
Posted to Video Games on 21 November 2008
· Comments (4)
Other stuff like this: Fighting, Jon Fitch, THQ, UFC
sounds to me like they want to make sure that they avoid the snafu that EA ran into with those NFL players.
in any case, signing that kinda thing is ridiculous, and good on him for saying no. there's no reason they should retain lifetime rights to someone's image.
That's just typical of Dana White and her cronies to be fair, look at their treatment of one of the greatest of all time, Randy Couture as further proof.
I feel for anybody who signed this. If they go on to other league, they now don't own the right to give their image to any other leagues video games. The only people who win in all this are the lawyers.
They don't have to sign it. If they want to be promoted by the UFC and become a nationally known fighter and make some money they have to sign it. There are other mma promoting companies but they aren't as big as the UFC. Unfortunately we live in a society where companies have to have these types of contracts. Think about it if the fighters each have their own people getting involved for their pay for a video game the game won't get made. And the title is UFC on the game.