Michigan State University is being sued for more than $100,000 by an online quiz company for displaying a giant image of Adolf Hitler at a football game.
On October 21, 2023, during a game between Michigan State and the University of Michigan at Spartan Stadium, the former university displayed an image of the Nazi leader as part of a question about the dictator’s birthplace.
The event, attended by at least 70,000 people, featured Hitler and his birthplace of Austria on video boards long enough for amazed viewers to take photos and share them on social media.
The clip of the question seemed to match an image shared on a episode on ‘The Quiz Channel’, a YouTube channel that posts a variety of quizzes on October 13.
On October 21, 2023, during a game between Michigan State and the University of Michigan at Spartan Stadium, the former university displayed an image of the leader of Nazi Germany as part of a question about the dictator’s birthplace.
In an August 9 filing, it was revealed that Floris van Pallandt, owner of Carsilius Media, BV and operator of The Quiz Channel, is suing the state of Michigan for copyright infringement and invasion of privacy.
The owner claims the university’s athletic department “knowingly and unlawfully infringed the copyright” and never contacted the company.
According to court documents, van Pallandt claims that if Michigan State had contacted him before the incident, “he could have prepared a customized questionnaire appropriate to the location and event, charging an appropriate fee for his work.”
He also claims that the incident only came to his attention after it became national news and the university was forced to issue an apology.
The event, attended by at least 70,000 people, showed Hitler and Austria, his birthplace, on video boards long enough for some on social media to share what they saw.
In an August 9 filing, it was revealed that Floris van Pallandt, owner of Carsilius Media, BV and operator of The Quiz Channel (pictured), is suing the state of Michigan for copyright infringement and invasion of privacy.
After reading the apology, the owner further accused Michigan State of falsely blaming “an outside source” for its “inappropriate content” and failing to accept its own role in the problem.
‘At the time Michigan State officials made this announcement, which was widely reported in the media, they were aware that Michigan State University staff members had used (The Quiz Channel’s) intellectual property without proper permission and had, in fact, infringed its rights.
“At a minimum, this attempt to deflect blame is dishonest by omitting any comment on Michigan State’s role in this fiasco,” the documents state.
While Van Pallandt acknowledged that his company created the quiz based in Europe and included the question, he clarified that it was not intended for “mass market use at a college football game.”
“Given the timing of the football game, approximately two weeks after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, the inclusion of a question about Adolf Hitler during the Michigan-Michigan State football game generated an extremely high degree of attention, much of it negative,” the lawsuit states.
Following widespread criticism last year, the university reportedly fired an employee along with an apology.
“MSU is aware that inappropriate content from an outside source was displayed on the video board prior to the start of tonight’s football game,” Michigan State spokesman Matt Larson said.
“We deeply regret the content that was displayed, as it does not represent our institutional values. MSU will not use the third-party source in the future and will implement more stringent screening and approval procedures for all video board content.”
Michigan State University had lost the game 42-0 against the University of Michigan.
The pre-game quiz provides content well before the games begin on the video boards. No other quizzes were shown on the screen.
Michigan State University had lost the game 42-0 against the University of Michigan.
Van Pallandt is seeking actual damages, to be determined at trial, or a civil penalty of $150,000 for “intentional copyright infringement.”
Apart from this, it also demands that the university be prohibited from using any content from The Quiz Channel in the future, that the school pay its attorneys’ fees, interest and costs, and any other compensation to which it is entitled.