Commercials for Concussion movie feature NFL game footage
Recently released commercials for the upcoming film Concussion feature real NFL game footage, including shots of Vikings running back Adrian Peterson, reports Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk.
According to the report, Sony is claiming the use of the footage falls under the same fair use laws that allow NFL team names, logos and player images to be used in movies without infringing on copyright and trademark laws.
Concussion tells the story of the discovery of football-specific head trauma. Will Smith plays Dr. Bennet Omalu, the neuropathologist who first discovered chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) after performing the autopsies on deceased Steelers players, including Hall of Famer Mike Webster. After his discovery, Omalu set out to convince the NFL that the sport had the potential to destroy the human brain.
• MMQB: For ex-NFL players, Concussion is a panic-inducing horror flick
The NFL has continued to decline to comment on the film or trailers for the movie. TheNew York Timesreported in September that emails revealed when Sony was hacked last year say some scenes in the first draft were softened to avoid NFL protests.
The movie is set to debut on Christmas Day.
