Upper Deck Settles Lawsuit with Major League Baseball

Sports card leader can continue selling recently released baseball products as part of the mutually agreed-upon settlement

Carlsbad, CA (March 3, 2010) – Today, the Upper Deck Company is pleased to announce that Upper Deck and Major League Baseball have mutually agreed to settle the lawsuit brought by Major League Baseball against Upper Deck. Per the terms of the settlement agreement, Upper Deck has agreed not to use MLB trademarks including team names and/or logos on its trading cards going forward. However, as part of the settlement, Upper Deck can and will continue to sell three recently released baseball products currently on store shelves: 2009 Signature Stars, 2009 Ultimate Collection and 2010 Upper Deck Series One.

“Upper Deck is pleased with the settlement including the amount the company paid as it relates to the trading cards released in 2010,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck’s director of Sports Brands. “As a company, we are changing the direction of Upper Deck’s baseball products going forward. We are looking forward to creating fresh and innovative set content that will continue to get collectors excited.”

Since its inception in 1989, Upper Deck has been the market leader for both its ability to create top-quality, super-premium products and for developing innovative programs that promoted baseball cards to kids.

“Great cards of great players have always been the cornerstone of Upper Deck products,” added Upper Deck Founder and CEO Richard McWilliam. “We’ll just have to see how innovative and creative we can become now.”

Honoring the start of the upcoming baseball season, Upper Deck will distribute FREE packs of baseball cards to fans around the country

Carlsbad, CA (January 19, 2010) – The Upper Deck Company is extremely excited to get the ball rolling with its recently inked partnership with the Major League Baseball Players Association to launch the first-of-its-kind “National Packtime” sampling promotion on Saturday, March 6. The one-day campaign is a special event that will provide fans with free packs of Upper Deck baseball cards. Exclusive packs of National Packtime baseball cards will be distributed via Upper Deck’s network of baseball card specialty shops. Any shop owners interested in participating should contact one of the authorized Upper Deck distributors listed below for more information on how to obtain their bundles of packs for the one-day giveaway.

“During these difficult economic times, we want to remind fans of the joy that comes with opening up their first pack of baseball cards, whether it was 10, 20 or 30 years ago,” said Chris Carlin, Upper Deck’s sports marketing manager. “We also want to share that fun with kids everywhere many of whom haven’t had the chance to experience the thrill of finding a cherished rookie card, or a card of their favorite star player. It’s a very cool, very unique experience that can’t be matched.”

The 10-card packs, produced exclusively for National Packtime, will feature the biggest superstars including Derek Jeter, David Ortiz and Albert Pujols, as well as a mix of other current standouts and rising stars. Key rookies include San Francisco’s future catching sensation Buster Posey alongside future ace Madison Bumgarner and Chicago’s Southside young slugger Tyler Flowers. All three of these prospects are rated by Baseball America at or near the top of their organizational prospect charts and have significant upside as impact players. What’s more, there is a very rare Derek Jeter “Career Commemorative” card issued as a chase element celebrating his 15 seasons in the Bronx. Although Upper Deck is not releasing print run info, suffice it to say that if collectors find this card in a pack, they will have beaten some very long odds.

Earlier this month, at a special hobby summit sponsored by Upper Deck that was held in conjunction with the annual Major League Baseball Players Trust golf tournament at Torrey Pines in San Diego, Upper Deck staff was able to corral several baseball standouts to take part in a special video touting the National Packtime event. Eddie Murray, Tim Salmon, Kenny Lofton, Reggie Sanders and Eddie Guardado all participated. Click on this link to see how they handled the pressure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrWdCuWKieg.

“I was just part of Upper Deck’s hobby summit, and the very first thing my customers asked me when I returned was whether or not there was going to a National Baseball Card Day this year,” said Dan Fox, owner of Fox Sports Cards in Marion, Illinois. “I told them, ‘Well, yes and no.’ I told them that there isn’t a designated National Baseball Card Day, but that Upper Deck – with its partnership with the Major League Baseball Players Association – is sponsoring an event called ‘National Packtime.’

“And let me be the first to say that events like this have been outrageously successful for us. We have collectors show up at our store that we haven’t seen in years. It reinvigorates their card-collecting pursuits. Does it make a difference in sales? Oh my gosh, yes. We’ll easily have another 100 customers show up that day. If you give people a reason to come down to your store, they’ll come down. So an event like National Packtime is a welcomed addition to this hobby.”

All hobby shop owners in the United States are encouraged to participate in Upper Deck’s 2010 National Packtime event. Packs are and will sell out so get your orders in today to partake. Direct Accounts can now order their packs online at www.upperdeckb2b.com. H

TOPPS LAUNCHES GAME-CHANGER FOR BASEBALL CARDS:

PLAYERS SPRING TO DIGITAL LIFE ON ‘TOPPS 3D LIVE’ TRADING CARDS,

DRIVEN HOME BY TOTAL IMMERSION’S AUGMENTED REALITY

Kids and Collectors Play Ball with the Pros at toppstown.com

In First Augmented Reality Mass Market Consumer Product

            NEW YORK and LOS ANGELES (March 9, 2009) – Want to swing for the fences like Ryan Howard?   Then starting today, think desktop, not diamond – and think baseball cards, not homeplate.

            The Topps Company and Total Immersion today announced the introduction of “Topps 3D Live” baseball trading cards featuring stars who come to play at www.toppstown.com, the company’s virtual sports community.

Bringing the Phillies slugger and 32 other top MLB stars to life is Total Immersion (www.t-immersion.com), the global leader in augmented reality (AR).  Starting today, fans can control the action as players magically emerge from the card (not the dugout) to pitch, bat and catch their way around the desktop — digitally.

For video, see: http://www.viddler.com/explore/engadget/videos/319/

            For Topps, the leading creator and marketer of sports and related cards, augmented reality baseball cards mark a groundbreaking enhancement to a beloved American classic, delivering an unprecedented level of interactivity for kids, fans and collectors as baseball cards experience the biggest innovation in its 140-year history.

            For Total Immersion, Topps 3D Live trading cards represent the company’s first consumer product available commercially, introducing a broad audience to augmented reality, an interactive experience where virtual components are dynamically merged into a live video stream in real time. 

            Interactive code cards can be found in every pack of Topps 2009 Baseball Series 1 pack and also in packs of the new Topps Attax baseball card game.  Fans log on to www.toppstown.com, enter the Topps 3D Live section and select the player on the code card.  Once the player is selected and the program is initialized, it’s game on!  By simply holding the card under a standard webcam, the player magically pops up from the card onscreen and springs to life.   Players can then be rotated around, and fans can control the action with just a keystroke or two as it unfolds on the desktop.  

            “Our vision to transform Topps into a sports media company is well underway,” said Michael Eisner, founder of The Torante Company, which owns The Topps Company.  “With the exciting launch of Topps 3D Live, children and adult collectors alike will get to experience something they’ve only dreamed about, watching their favorite players come to digital life right before their eyes.  With the help of our innovative partner Total Immersion and its use of augmented reality, the physical baseball trading card is now just the beginning of the experience. “

            “Here we have an American icon, the baseball card, which has been known, loved and essentially unchanged since 1869,” said Bruno Uzzan, CEO, Total Immersion. “Marrying  augmented reality to the mainstay consumer product of the national pastime just feels right.  Fans and collectors have always felt an emotional connection to their cards, wanting to get up-close-and-personal with their favorite players.  Now, with ‘Topps 3D Live,’ that relationship enters an entirely different dimension.

 “Not only can they see these athletes in 3D but they can bring them into their homes, have the players walk around their desks, and even play a game of catch,” Uzzan said.  “Augmented reality gives virtually any product, the means to come alive and enthrall the consumer, driving sales and fostering brand loyalty. This kind of engagement — getting the consumer into the action — is what AR delivers consistently, across the board.”

            “With 3D Live, Topps is continuing its commitment to innovation,” said Steve Grimes, Chief Digital Officer, Topps. “This exciting new technology is just one of several new things at Toppstown.com.  In addition to seeing their favorite players come to life, kids can now battle each other with Topps Attax, the new multiplayer baseball card game, collect and trade digital

cards, furnish their clubhouse and backyard, get live scores and play fantasy-style games.”

            Topps 3D Live augmented reality baseball trading cards offer the newest adventure at Topps Town, an online sports community developed just for kids.  The site was unveiled in June 2008 as part of the iconic company’s plans to expand into the digital space.

Through its patented D’Fusion® technology, Total Immersion blurs the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real-time interactive 3D graphic into a live video stream.  The Topps launch coincides with the introduction of Total Immersion’s browser-based version of D’Fusion, which enables users to seamlessly run the software through a standard web browser.  D’Fusion now operates under Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and higher and Firefox 2.0 and higher, with MacOS/Safari support scheduled for early in Q2.

About The Topps Company, Inc.

Founded in 1938, Topps (www.topps.com) is a leading creator and marketer of sports and related cards, entertainment products, and distinctive confectionery. Topps entertainment products include Major League Baseball, NFL, NBA and other trading cards, sticker album collections, and collectible games. The company’s confectionery brands include “Bazooka” bubble gum, “Ring Pop,” “Push Pop,” “Baby Bottle Pop,” and “Juicy Drop Pop” lollipops.  In June 2008, Topps unveiled Topps Town (www.toppstown.com), the first online virtual sports community for kids, bringing together the popularity of trading cards with the exploding world of web-based social networking.

About Total Immersion

Total Immersion (www.t-immersion.com) is the global leader in augmented reality.  Through its patented D’Fusion technology, Total Immersion blurs the line between the virtual world and the real world by integrating real time interactive 3D graphics into a live video stream.  Leading the augmented reality category since 1999, the company maintains a presence in Europe and the U.S., and supports a network of partners worldwide.

Mark McGwire will be laughed at again too…..

2009 Hall of Fame Ballot
First Timers
Rickey Henderson
David Cone
Ron Gant
Mark Grace
Jay Bell
Jesse Orosco
Dan Plesac
Greg Vaughn
Mo Vaughn
Matt Williams

Holdovers
Jim Rice (Final time on ballot)
Mark McGwire
Harold Baines
Bert Blyleven
Andre Dawson
Tommy John (Final time on ballot)
Don Mattingly
Jack Morris
Dale Murphy
Dave Parker
Tim Raines
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell

2009 Veterans Committee Ballot
Pre-1943
Bill Dahlen
Allie Reynolds
Wes Ferrell
Vern Stephens
Joe Gordon
Mickey Vernon
Sherry Magee
Bucky Walters
Carl Mays
Deacon White
Post-1942
Dick Allen
Vada Pinson
Gil Hodges
Ron Santo
Jim Kaat
Luis Tiant
Tony Oliva
Joe Torre
Al Oliver
Maury Wills