If you’ve recent TV trailers for “Concussion,” you may have noticed that it’s been using actual NFL game footage. Some of the footage has featured Adrian Peterson of the Minnesota Vikings.
According to Pro Football Talk, the movie’s distributor, Sony feels that footage falls under “Fair Use” which allows the airing of game footage, NFL logos and players’ likenesses without violating copyright and trademark laws.
“Fair Use” is what the producers of the HBO series “Ballers” utilized when it featured NFL team names and logos earlier this year. The NFL did not complain to HBO about the usage as long as they weren’t seen in promos and it appears that the league won’t be sending any cease and desist letters to the movie studio.
The NFL hasn’t said much about the movie and probably won’t issue an official comment when the movie is released on Christmas Day. Silence has been the official policy and will most likely continue after all the buzz on Concussion is finally over.
In the meantime, Sony will make bigger pushes for the Will Smith vehicle as we get closer to Christmas Day and will most likely use more NFL game footage on the trailers unless it hears from league attorneys.
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About Ken Fang
Ken has been covering the sports media in earnest at his own site, Fang's Bites since May 2007 and at Awful Announcing since March 2013.
He provides a unique perspective having been an award-winning radio news reporter in Providence and having worked in local television.
Fang celebrates the four Boston Red Sox World Championships in the 21st Century, but continues to be a long-suffering Cleveland Browns fan.