July 31 (Bloomberg) -- Sony Computer Entertainment America Inc. and Electronic Arts Inc. were sued by Hall-of-Fame running back Jim Brown, who accused the companies of using an electronic football-game character based on him without his permission.

Brown, who left the National Football League to become an actor and starred in the movies ``The Dirty Dozen'' and ``Any Given Sunday,'' seeks a court order stopping the Sony Corp. unit and Electronic Arts from using his likeness.

The character, part of the ``Real Old School Teams and Players'' series, is a muscular, African-American running back wearing the number 32 jersey who is featured in the game's ``All Brown's Team,'' Brown said in a complaint filed yesterday in state court in New York.

Brown, who played for the Cleveland Browns, said in the complaint that he ``never signed away any rights that would allow his likeness to be used.''

The case is James Brown v. Sony USA Inc., 110412/2008, New York State Supreme Court (Manhattan).

To contact the reporter for this story: Patricia Hurtado in New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan at pathurtado@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: July 31, 2008 13:44 EDT