Judge Calls $27M a Fair Price for EA Monopoly

By ELIZABETH WARMERDAM

     OAKLAND, Calif. (Courtroom News) – Electronic Arts can settle antitrust claims by paying $27 million and releasing exclusivity rights to league-branded football video games, a federal judge ruled.
After granting preliminary approval of the settlement Friday, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken scheduled a fairness hearing for Feb. 7, 2013.

In 2008, lead plaintiffs Geoffrey Pecover and Jeffrey Lawrence claimed that EA killed off competing football video games by partnering with the National Football League, the National Collegiate Athletic Association, the Collegiate Licensing Co. and the Arena Football League.

By monopolizing the market for these games, EA was free to hike up the prices of its own games and gouge customers, according to the complaint. [Read more…]