The NBA won its lawsuit with Motorola, Inc. with a judge
ruling the electronics company "engaged in unlawful conduct" with
its pager-like device that gives action of games, called
SportsTrax. Judge Loretta Preska, in her decision in U.S.
District Court in Manhattan, said Motorola must stop using
SportsTrax. The lawsuit "alleged the service isn't licensed or
authorized by the league." The NBA "sought and was granted a
permanent injunction" against Motorola and Skokie, IL-based Stats
Inc., the company that assembles the information. However,
"unspecified damages and other claims of relief were denied"
(WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/23). Motorola claimed SportsTrax was
"simply another version of the evening news," but Preska called
that "utterly unpersuasive" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 7/23). In
Newark, Dan Wasserman notes, "The ruling clears the way for the
NBA to pursue negotiations with ESPN and Time Warner about
licensing an official sports beeper." It also jeopardizes the
status of SportsTrax covering football and baseball. MLB and the
NFL have also threatened suit against STATS and Motorola (Newark
STAR-LEDGER, 7/23).
