New Zealand
Players Welcome
The Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in creative writing program at Rutgers University-Newark will benefit from US$50,000 donation by a UK-based bookmaker. The money is part of the undisclosed settlement amount that William Hill received from FanDuel.
This followed the January settling of the matter between the two parties, in which the UK-based bookmaker accused its rival of copyright infringement. Commenting at the time, the bookmaker pledged to allocate some of the money to supporting creative writing.
Damning Evidence Produced
According to the federal court lawsuit filed by William Hill in October 2018, the bookmaker published a guide to sports betting in June that year. The publication coincided with its betting launch at Oceanport’s Monmouth Park Racetrack, New Jersey.
A month after the UK-based bookmaker’s Monmouth opening, FanDuel launched a sport betting offering at the East Rutherford track. The bookmaker alleged its rival had plagiarised the guide in one that it (FanDuel) had made available at the Meadowlands Racetrack.
The bookmaker stated that, in some cases, the only difference between sections of the text in both guides was the font. In one example provided by the bookmaker, it claimed its rival had not bothered to remove its brand-name. It also claimed that its rival also had used illustrative content without permission.
Competing For Market-Share
There is more to William Hill and FanDuel than copied betting guides. Both bookmakers are among those that are jostling for a bigger piece of the pie that is the US sports betting market.
It has grown in leaps and bounds since the game-changing SCOTUS ruling that legalised the industry in June 2018. In their first year, legal land-based and online bookmakers saw US$3 billion in bets, and revenue of more than US$194 million.
About the Writing Program
Graduates who hold a MFA in creative writing can teach at university level. The program offers a range of courses, such as those on Shakespeare, Samuel Johnson, women in literature, Latino literature and culture, and Afro-American history.
Among the elective courses available are Literature/Book Arts, Performance/Media Studies, and Cultural/Political/Ethnic Studies. In addition to being able to rack the minds of eminent academics such as Prof Jack Lynch, Prof Fran Bartkowski, and Prof Clement A. Price, students also have access to excellent resources. The Paul Robeson Gallery and the Cornwall Centre for Metropolitan Studies are among the providers. The program also has a relationship with the nearby Aljira contemporary art centre, Newark Museum, and New Jersey Historical Society, among others.