Cartola FC was created in 2005 by O Globo's website and has become very popular among football fans. Used during the Brazilian Championship, the game is of the “Football Manager” style, where fans command their own club, scale players and coaches based on what happens in real life on the pitch.
The fact that there is a charge for access subscriptions (R$ 54.90 –US$ 10.65- per user), led Flamengo, owner of the biggest crowd in Brazil, to file a lawsuit at the 5th Business Court of the District of Rio de Janeiro, against Grupo Globo.
Fla has been trying since 2020 to prevent the club's name from being inserted into the game without its authorization. Now Flamengo has decided to sue the broadcaster in court to demand that the group remove from the air all content related to the team in the electronic game Cartola FC.
Flamengo's legal argument maintains that Cartola would be a profitable business for the broadcaster, which distorts the contract signed between the parties and requires, in the club's view, in addition to authorization to use the brand in the game, the payment of brand rights.
In its defense, O Globo's lawyers claim that the game was framed as a promotional action for the Brazilian Championship, which would contemplate the contract signed with all Serie A clubs.
“By this ordinary action, Flamengo intends to obtain judicial protection to (i) order the defendant to refrain from improperly using its brand and symbols in the Cartola electronic game, (ii) order the defendant to pay compensation due to the violation of trademark law, or, alternatively, (iii) promote the review of the contract to adjust the financial contribution due to Flamengo,” requests the process.
Source: GMB
