CHICAGO \u2014 Hall of Fame slugger Frank Thomas has filed a lawsuit against the Chicago White Sox and accuses the organization with which he played the bulk of his career of unauthorized use of his likeness on uniforms.<\/p>\n
The lawsuit was filed March 19 in Cook County, Illinois, and also named Nike and Fanatics as defendants.<\/p>\n
Thomas seeks payment in excess of $50,000 and demands a jury trial.<\/p>\n
Thomas said the defendants profited from selling items using his identity without his permission, notably the sale of City Connect 2.0 jerseys that bear his name without his consent.<\/p>\n
Thomas claims he has received no compensation or other consideration from Nike, Fanatics and the White Sox for the use of his name and likeness<\/p>\n
\u201cThe complaint we filed alleges violations of the Illinois Right to Publicity Act,” wrote William T. Gibbs of Corboy & Demetrio, the law firm representing Thomas, in a statement. “Companies may not profit from anyone\u2019s identity without their permission. We believe our filing speaks for itself.\u201d<\/p>\n
Thomas, a two-time MVP with the White Sox who hit 521 homers in a career that spanned from 1990 to 2008, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014.<\/p>\n
The White Sox did not immediately return a request for comment Tuesday night.<\/p>\n
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