Composer Sues EA For $1.5 Million Over Fight Song

Composer Gerard Willis is suing Electronic Arts over the use of his song "Win With The Rebels," which he claims was used without permission in 10 EA Sports games. The suit, filed in the U.S. district court of Nevada, seeks up to $150,000 per violation, or $1.5 million dollars, according to a report in the Las Vegas Review-Journal. "Win With The Rebels" is a fight song for the University of Las Vegas, and EA's NCAA Basketball 2009, NCAA Football 2006 through 2009, NCAA March Madness 2006 through 2008, and NCAA Basketball 2006 and 2007 are the titles Willis is claiming use his song in violation of copyright. The university itself holds a limited license to use the song and isn't named in the lawsuit. "I think the UNLV band sounds great when they play it, and that's what it was written for," Willis' attorney, Ellen Winograd, told the journal-Review. "It was not written for commercial use." EA has not commented on the lawsuit.