Brooks Pierce attorney Ryan Fairchild was recently quoted in an article on ESPN.com entitled, “'Tfue' lawsuit could ‘dramatically’ change contracts for pro streamers and esports competitors.”
The article discusses a recent lawsuit in which a professional Fortnite player alleges his team “restricted his ability to pursue his profession and violated the California Talent Agency Act for its role as a middleman for his brand endorsement and appearance deals.”
Fairchild spoke with ESPN.com about how pervasive the issues raised in the lawsuit are throughout the esports industry.
“A lot of players are contracting away these rights because they want to take stability over potential upside or they don't fully understand what they are giving up,” Fairchild said. “I would say that the majority of contracts I deal with have provisions that are very similar to the ones laid out in the complaint.”
Fairchild’s diverse practice includes a particular emphasis on the esports industry. He represents players, organizations and stakeholders in a variety of contract, intellectual property, employment and corporate issues. His passion for esports derives from being a lifelong gamer, and he understands the various esports cultures and dynamics, as well as legal, economic, and structural issues facing the industry.
The full article can be viewed online here.
