Dutch Soccer Clubs Take Sony Unit to Court

A unit of Sony Corp. is going to court in the Netherlands this week over claims that it wrongfully used the trademarks of three top Dutch professional soccer clubs in one of its video games.

Dutch clubs Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord allege that Sony Computer Entertainment Europe, the division that publishes the games, wrongfully incorporated the teams’ trademarks in the game “This Is Football 2002,” said attorney Sven Klos.

The clubs are asking a Dutch court to order SCEE to immediately suspend sales of the game and to halt the launch of the 2003 version, due out this fall.

A representative for SCEE in London declined to comment.

The practice of securing licensing arrangements with professional sports clubs and leagues has become a cutthroat business over the last decade, with game makers vying for long-term deals with top teams.