By AP/KWMU
St. Louis – A federal appeals court has paved the way for a fantasy baseball company to use players' names and statistics without paying a licensing fee.
The Eighth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in St. Louis ruled Tuesday that CBC Distribution and Marketing does not have to pay the players, even though it profits by using their names and stats.
The Major League Baseball Players Association had argued that companies like CBC are essentially stealing money from players, who charge big fees to endorse things such as tennis shoes and soft drinks.
The ruling could have a broad impact on the $1.5 billion fantasy league industry.