Upper Deck is suing Panini for using Michael Jordan images

[auburn35]

Upper Deck with a nice intro and burn on Panini.

[the27guy]

Originally Posted by Silverandgold

You can tell they are leaving him in on purpose. Same image year to year and MJ shows up?

It's easy to imagine how they edited the image for one release and then started with the fresh image for the next.... very similar to a version control issue that most of us have to deal with daily. I'm sorry, but no, we don't know that it was on purpose. I'm not saying it wasn't. We just don't know.

Originally Posted by auburn35

Upper Deck with a nice intro and burn on Panini.

This reminds me of high school. Lol.

[ShaneFalco]

Can MJ just BUY Upper Deck and Panini already and call it a day?

[AwesomeBrian]

Originally Posted by ATLOTP

Upper Deck sucks. Maybe they should focus on making a good product instead of suing people that do.

UD can suck it... from how they treat their "Authorized Internet Dealers" and small shops to their destroying the hockey card industry with trash like Synergy and their stupid unannounced easter eggs. Funny how you see their reps all over the break room chats when a good product comes out, but they are nowhere to be seen when they drop one of their many turds. The reviews for the first Synergy product on cardboard connection are a must read for anyone wanting a good laugh.

[Lee42]

Originally Posted by auburn35

Upper Deck with a nice intro and burn on Panini.

Conversely, Panini has seemed to do ok without having MJ in its products?

Could they have made more money having MJ in its products? Yes, but it hasn't stopped them making a tonne of money as its mainly the Rookies and Modern Day star players driving the sales of the products these days.

If UD is the premier card manufacturer in America why don't they have the NBA/NFL licences?

[Silverandgold]

Originally Posted by AwesomeBrian

UD can suck it... from how they treat their "Authorized Internet Dealers" and small shops to their destroying the hockey card industry with trash like Synergy and their stupid unannounced easter eggs. Funny how you see their reps all over the break room chats when a good product comes out, but they are nowhere to be seen when they drop one of their many turds. The reviews for the first Synergy product on cardboard connection are a must read for anyone wanting a good laugh.

But is Panini better...?

[RogerGodahell]

No more action shots. Every card must be a photo shoot with a green screen and then a background airbrushed in. We can't have any chance of someone being in the background who shouldn't be.

[BlowoutBuzz]

Upper Deck-Panini lawsuit examines Michael Jordan cameos >> BlowoutBuzz.com #collect

[Jwhoops]

Originally Posted by Lee42

Conversely, Panini has seemed to do ok without having MJ in its products?

Could they have made more money having MJ in its products? Yes, but it hasn't stopped them making a tonne of money as its mainly the Rookies and Modern Day star players driving the sales of the products these days.

If UD is the premier card manufacturer in America why don't they have the NBA/NFL licences?

The main people being hurt here are collectors, who can't get cards of the game's 2 most popular names. Yeah Panini sucks, but Upper Deck needs to pony up for the licence or give up the charade. They are actively harming the hobby at this point.

[byronscott4ever]

If Panini shows images of Goodwin Jordan cards, the judge might throw out the case right there and then (in regards to UD being premier)

[smanzari]

Originally Posted by ShaneFalco

Can MJ just BUY Upper Deck and Panini already and call it a day?

Pretty sure their business model has some sort of ownership/profit sharing system for their Spokespeople, so he kind of already does

[E B]

Panini is in trouble. They are using his likenesses on the cards and profiting from the sale of them. In both situations Jordan is clearly recognizable. Bad move by Panini.

[jj2]

Who bought a box of Optic because there is a tiny Michael Jordan in the background of a Scottie Pippen card? Anyone?

[Silverandgold]

Originally Posted by jj2

Who bought a box of Optic because there is a tiny Michael Jordan in the background of a Scottie Pippen card? Anyone?

Tons of people bought the Contenders one though so they have a case. Plus people will start buying the optic one now because it's more widely know.

[clipperboy24]

Originally Posted by auburn35

Looks like Upper Deck is seeking damages for Panini releasing cards with MJ in the background.

Here's a lawyer (great Twitter follow) discussing the case.
https://twitter.com/Paul_Lesko/statu...907721217?s=19

I think the image caption for the retro series is wrong. 2017 had MJ (I almost have the Scottie rainbow).

[AceGambit3]

This is hilariously stupid. Upper Deck is still just mad they can't make NBA, NFL, and MLB cards. Hell, their non-sports releases have to rely heavily on e-pack to do anything. That piece from the lawsuit should read "Panini refuses to accept that Mr. Jordan long ago decided to affiliate himself with what was once the premiere trading card company in America: Upper Deck"

Anyone who believes they still are must have just woken up from a coma.

[byronscott4ever]

I’m shocked that UD can afford a lawyer at this point...

[Luni]

Originally Posted by clipperboy24

I think the image caption for the retro series is wrong. 2017 had MJ (I almost have the Scottie rainbow).

I think maybe it means that 17/18 Donruss came out in 2017 while 17/18 Donruss Optic came out in 2018. Both are technically the same year as far as collectors are concerned but they did release in different calendar years.

On a side note, I decided to buy that Scottie Holo on COMC to see if I could flip it real quick (from 2 dollars to 4 dollars) and it already sold via eBay. Someone scooped all of them lol...

[jj2]

Originally Posted by byronscott4ever

I’m shocked that UD can afford a lawyer at this point...

I don't they're very good based on that introduction.

[BlowoutBuzz]

Originally Posted by Jwhoops

Upper Deck needs to pony up for the licence or give up the charade. They are actively harming the hobby at this point.

The NBA decides who it licenses and who it does not.

Michael Jordan decides who he lets make cards of him since he's not part of the players' group marketing (card) deal.

[n1nesports]

What a joke, you can barely see MJ in the card lol

[Cavaliercards]

UD trying to get some money so they can print the next Hockey release.

Countersuit will be interesting as there usually is one and NBA and NBAPA attorneys will help per usual.

[callou2131]

Lets just go back to 1990 skybox.

[byronscott4ever]

How many people saw Jordan on the Pippen card before the lawsuit?

And nice of UD to omit the fact that Sam Vincent is worth more only because Jordan is in #12 and that it was corrected later

[cp312]

Originally Posted by E B

Panini is in trouble. They are using his likenesses on the cards and profiting from the sale of them. In both situations Jordan is clearly recognizable. Bad move by Panini.

Lol you can't be serious, this is an absolutely childish lawsuit. And clearly recognizable is a stretch for the Pippen.

Does anyone know if are those the only two instances of Panini using Jordan's image? If so, this is even stupider than I thought originally.

Personally, if you no one had ever pointed out that Jordan was in that background of that Pippen card I never would have noticed.

I'm probably not the only one, considering that before UD brought this to light you could buy the holo version of the Pippen for $2 and now there's an auction up over $15