Kobby Dagan/Shutterstock.comBookmaker William Hill Accuses Rival FanDuel of Copyright Infringement on How-To Manual
"A simple side-by-side comparison of the William Hill copyrighted work against the infringing pamphlet clearly demonstrates how egregious FanDuel has been in its unauthorized copying of the William Hill copyrighted work," the lawsuit says.
October 25, 2018 at 06:07 PM
2 minute read
Only months after sports gambling was legalized in the state, one of the world's largest sports bookmakers has filed a lawsuit against a competitor in New Jersey federal court, accusing it of copyright infringement.
William Hill plc, based in London, filed the lawsuit against FanDuel, based in New York, in U.S. District Court in New Jersey on Oct. 23, accusing FanDuel of misappropriating language used in William Hill betting guides for its own instructional guides.
William Hill's lead attorney, Safia Anan of New York's Olshan Frome Wolosky, did not return a call about the filing.
FanDuel did not respond to an email requesting comment on the suit.
William Hill, which now operates sports books at Monmouth Park Racetrack and Ocean Resort Casino in Atlantic City, publishes a “How to Bet Guide,” which is sort of a primer on how sports betting works and how to place bets.
The lawsuit claims that FanDuel, when it began operating a sports book at the Meadowlands Racetrack in East Rutherford, put out a pamphlet called “FanDuel Sportsbook” and “How to Bet Betting Guide.”
The instructional language, William Hill alleges, was taken almost verbatim from its own betting guide.
“A simple side-by-side comparison of the William Hill copyrighted work against the infringing pamphlet clearly demonstrates how egregious FanDuel has been in its unauthorized copying of the William Hill copyrighted work,” the lawsuit says.
The lawsuit contains what William Hill says are examples of how FanDuel copied its work.
Both companies offer bettors the ability to place wagers in a variety of sports, including football, baseball, basketball, soccer, car racing and hockey.
Sports betting was legalized by New Jersey lawmakers after a May ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law banning the practice in all but a few jurisdictions.
William Hill, in its lawsuit, said the copyright infringement on FanDuel's part was “egregious and willful.” The company is seeking to block FanDuel from further distributing its pamphlets, and to pay for its legal fees.
“FanDuel's acts constitute infringement of William Hill's copyright and exclusive rights under copyright,” the lawsuit claims.
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