Micheal Jordon lost legal right to his name to Chinese company
Legendary NBA player Micheal Jordan does not have the legal right to his name in China. He lost a lawsuit to the Qiaodan Sports Company, whose name is the Chinese translation of ‘Jordan’.
On Wednesday, a Shanghai court ruled that the Chinese sportswear and shoe manufacturer that has used his name as its brand for decades did so without authorization and with the intention to “mislead” consumers. However, it did not revoke the company’s right to use the name.
But the five-time MVP was awarded $46,000 (RMB300,000) for “emotional damages” and $7,600 (RMB50,000) for legal expenses incurred.
The court also ruled that the company must stop using the Chinese characters of “Qiaodan” in its corporate name and product trademarks. It must also issue a public apology in print and online clarifying that it has no connection to the basketballer himself.
Qiaodan must also take “reasonable measures” to indicate and clarify that its older trademarks have no actual ties to the NBA star.