NFL Collective Bargaining Agreement
Union Security
Section 4NFLPA Player Group Licensing Program
The NFL recognizes that players have authorized the NFLPA to act as their agent in a Group Player Licensing program (defined below) for their benefit. The NFL hereby agrees that neither it, any Club, nor any affiliate of the NFL and/or any Club shall acquire, seek to acquire, induce others to acquire, or assist others in acquiring Group Player Licensing rights, or interfere in any manner with any player’s conveyance of such rights pursuant to the NFLPA Group Player Licensing program, except as otherwise explicitly agreed to between the NFLPA (or any of its affiliates) and the NFL (or any of its affiliates). Any disputes that arise regarding the NFL’s conduct in this regard shall be submitted for expedited arbitration pursuant to Article 43. The first such grievance in any calendar year shall be treated on an expedited basis without counting against the number of grievances the NFLPA may expedite pursuant to Article 43, Section 4; all subsequent such grievances in that calendar year shall count against the number of grievances the NFLPA may expedite pursuant to Article 43, Section 4. For the purposes of this Section 4, Group Player Licensing shall be defined as the use of a total of six (6) or more NFL players’ names, signatures facsimiles, voices, pictures, photographs, likenesses and/or biographical information on or in conjunction with products (including, but not limited to, trading cards, clothing, videogames, computer games, collectibles, internet sites, fantasy games, etc.), marketing, advertising and promotional programs; (a) in any one product and/or sponsorship category, as defined by industry standards; or (b) in different categories if a total of six or more players are used and (i) the products, marketing, advertising or promotional programs all use similar or derivative design or artwork or (ii) one such player product is used to promote another player product. For the purposes of this Section 4, Group Player Licensing includes, without limitation, products sold at retail and products that are used as promotional or premium items. Group Player Licensing shall not include “non-consumer facing” appearances by NFL players at any individual corporate hospitality and/or other similar events by fewer than six (6) active NFL players. Nothing in this definition of Group Player Licensing shall be construed to limit the rights of the NFL or any NFL Club under applicable law, or any other provision of this Agreement.