William Hill US Sues FanDeal over Copyright Issues
William Hill US is suing competitor FanDuel over copyright issues relating to its “how to bet” guide.
The American division of the British bookmaker filed a copyright infringement notice in a New Jersey District Court. It accused FanDuel of obviously copying the guide, using similar examples of potential betting situations.
CEO of William Hill US Joe Asher described the case as “ridiculous”.
The Lawsuit
William Hill US composed its “how to bet” guide back in June, when it launched sports betting at Monmouth Park Racetrack. According to the lawsuit, FanDuel distributed its version of the guide at the racetrack one month after William US created theirs.
The New York-based bookmaker was accused of copying both text and diagrams. Their version of the guide even contained a William Hill logo, proving that FanDuel was copying and pasting from another document.
“If the court finds in favour, a portion of the proceeds will fund scholarships for creative writing programs at New Jersey universities,” Asher claimed.
FanDuel has run into multiple issues since transitioning from daily fantasy sports to sports betting. During its first month of operation, it had problems delivering payouts because of the late time of events.
The sportsbook also agreed to pay a bettor USD$82,000 as compensation after he was given incorrect odds due to an error.