[Dogberry99]

There's also the possibility that an agreement with Topps, et al, may not be enough. The agreement between Topps and the players would have covered their cards but might not cover secondary usages, such as replicating those cards in the game.

Random analogy, but if this scenario were true, it would probably be similar to how DVD releases of Muppet Family Christmas are missing 3 songs that had to be cut entirely because the agreements with the writers/arrangers of those songs only covered the initial television broadcasts.