This court ruling may positively affect our hobby

[MplsTom]

A Pleasing Reconciliation In League Financial Order: Ombsbudsman Leverages Suit

Good news for all those who have ever wondered if the basketball drawing they were making for the school art auction was sanctioned by the NBA or if they were technically doing something illegal.

In Bedford Falls, NY, school ombsbudsman Harold Bailey brought a suit against the NBA, NFL, and Major League Baseball and received a favorable ruling from 8th circuit court judge Samuel Waynewright. The suit involved 8th grader Warren Webber's desire to donate his LeBron James drawing in a Knicks uniform to a school auction to raise money for a local charity.

"There was a recent ruling in the Jensen v NFL case in northern California that paved the way for this positive development. Sports leagues have just taken their licensing stranglehold way too far," said Bailey.

The ruling, unless appealed further, will cast a pleasing wide shadow on all hobbyists who currently are profiting illegally from even selling a small sticker of their favorite team to their friends. Todd McFarlane, well-known manufacturer of athletic figurines says, "It's about time - the licensing fees were getting outrageous."

Within the ruling, judge Wayneright also recommended that the federal office of gambling oversee future licensing requests as opposed to the leagues themselves. George Emerald, who is a major player in the hobby industry, offers this word of caution, "Beware of those governments wanting to get too involved. While this may seem like a victory for hobbyists, it is yet another example of government extending too heavy of a hand into our first amendment rights."