Chicago, IL (AP) – Hall of Fame slugger Frank Thomas has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago White Sox and accuses the organization with which he played the bulk of his career of unauthorized use of his likeness on uniforms.
The lawsuit was filed March 19 in Cook County, Illinois, and also named Nike and Fanatics as defendants.
Thomas seeks payment in excess of $50,000 and demands a jury trial.
Thomas said the defendants profited from selling items using his identity without his permission, notably the sale of City Connect 2.0 jerseys that bear his name without his consent.
Thomas claims he has received no compensation or other consideration from Nike, Fanatics and the White Sox for the use of his name and likeness
“The complaint we filed alleges violations of the Illinois Right to Publicity Act,” wrote William T. Gibbs of Corboy & Demetrio, the law firm representing Thomas, in a statement. “Companies may not profit from anyone’s identity without their permission. We believe our filing speaks for itself.”
Thomas, a two-time MVP with the White Sox who hit 521 homers in a career that spanned from 1990 to 2008, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.
The White Sox did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday night.
___
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
