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Manchester United is suing the makers of Football Manager

Manchester United is suing the makers of Football Manager

English Premier League club Manchester United is taking legal action against the developer of Football Manager, Sports Interactive, as well as its publisher Sega.

As reported by The Guardian, the organisation alleges that they are infringing its trademark in using the club's name within Football Manager, as well as, um, not using Man United's official club crest. Said logo is in fact generated from a generic template and clearly says that it is not licensed from the club.

Sega and Sports Interactive have refuted Manchester United's lawsuit, pointing out that the club hasn't complained about the companies using its name in the Football Manager series, in addition to its predecessor Championship Manager, since 1992. Staff from Manchester United have also worked with SI in the past to assist with scouting and research.

Manchester United has also attempted to amend its lawsuit to also include allegations that player-made mods also mean that Sports Interactive and Sega are benefitting from its trademark. Mr Justice Morgan has reserved his judgement on this amendment until a later date.

“The claimant has acquiesced in the use by the defendants of the name of the Manchester United football team in the Football Manager game and cannot now complain of such use,” SI and Sega wrote in a statement.

Football Manager 19 smashed records for the simulation franchise, selling over two million copies in just eight months. Sports Interactive made Football Manager 2020's packaging 100 per cent recyclable, something that Sega Europe has opted to do across its games line-up

In March, Sports Interactive said it would be offering free ad slots to mental health charities during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic


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PCGamesInsider Contributing Editor

Alex Calvin is a freelance journalist who writes about the business of games. He started out at UK trade paper MCV in 2013 and left as deputy editor over three years later. In June 2017, he joined Steel Media as the editor for new site PCGamesInsider.biz. In October 2019 he left this full-time position at the company but still contributes to the site on a daily basis. He has also written for GamesIndustry.biz, VGC, Games London, The Observer/Guardian and Esquire UK.