Different court for Jordan in name row
By Wang Qingchu |
February 24, 2012, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
BASKETBALL legend Michael Jordan has filed a lawsuit with a Chinese court claiming that a sportswear and footwear producer is using his name without authorization.
He is accusing Fujian Province-based Qiaodan Sports Co Ltd of building its business around his Chinese name and jersey number.
"It is deeply disappointing to see a company build a business off my Chinese name without my permission, use the No. 23 and even attempt to use the names of my children," Jordan said in a statement yesterday.
"This complaint is not about money. It's about principle and protecting my name," he said. "Any monetary awards I might receive will be invested in growing the sport of basketball in China."
The lawsuit alleges that the company had made more than 100 trademark applications related to Jordan's name and claims the company's logo is a silhouette of the former Chicago Bulls superstar in action.
Jordan is asking that the company stop using his name and image immediately and that Chinese fans be alerted to the fact that he has nothing to do with Qiaodan Sports.
The Chinese company yesterday insisted it had exclusive rights to use the "Qiaodan" trademark, according to Xinhua news agency.
"Qiaodan is a trademark registered under Chinese law by our company and the legitimate use of the trademark is protected," the company said in a statement. "We have always upheld the sportsmanship since our founding. We have continued to support the development of sports in China and have run the business honestly."
Jordan's lawsuit claims Qiaodan Sports "deliberately and aggressively" used his name without permission and misled customers into thinking its sportswear and footwear products were authorized by him.
Jordan has been known in China as "Qiaodan" since he became a global basketball star in the 1980s. His skills were first seen on Chinese television during the 1987 NBA All-Star Game, the first NBA telecast in China.
Founded in June 2000, sales of Qiaodan Sports amounted to 2.9 billion yuan (US$461 million) in 2010 and it was approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission last November for listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Over the past few years, the company has become the Olympic partner of Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. And in 2010, it became the official partner of the International Basketball Federation.
Jordan is considered one of the greatest basketball players in the world. He played 13 seasons for the Chicago bulls and led the team to win six NBA Championship titles. In March 2010, he became owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.
NBA breakout star Jeremy Lin may face similar issues in China.
A woman in the eastern province of Jiangsu has already registered his name, in Chinese characters, as a trademark.
Lin is applying for a trademark in the United States using the term "Linsanity," which is widely used to describe his meteoric rise to fame, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.
He is accusing Fujian Province-based Qiaodan Sports Co Ltd of building its business around his Chinese name and jersey number.
"It is deeply disappointing to see a company build a business off my Chinese name without my permission, use the No. 23 and even attempt to use the names of my children," Jordan said in a statement yesterday.
"This complaint is not about money. It's about principle and protecting my name," he said. "Any monetary awards I might receive will be invested in growing the sport of basketball in China."
The lawsuit alleges that the company had made more than 100 trademark applications related to Jordan's name and claims the company's logo is a silhouette of the former Chicago Bulls superstar in action.
Jordan is asking that the company stop using his name and image immediately and that Chinese fans be alerted to the fact that he has nothing to do with Qiaodan Sports.
The Chinese company yesterday insisted it had exclusive rights to use the "Qiaodan" trademark, according to Xinhua news agency.
"Qiaodan is a trademark registered under Chinese law by our company and the legitimate use of the trademark is protected," the company said in a statement. "We have always upheld the sportsmanship since our founding. We have continued to support the development of sports in China and have run the business honestly."
Jordan's lawsuit claims Qiaodan Sports "deliberately and aggressively" used his name without permission and misled customers into thinking its sportswear and footwear products were authorized by him.
Jordan has been known in China as "Qiaodan" since he became a global basketball star in the 1980s. His skills were first seen on Chinese television during the 1987 NBA All-Star Game, the first NBA telecast in China.
Founded in June 2000, sales of Qiaodan Sports amounted to 2.9 billion yuan (US$461 million) in 2010 and it was approved by the China Securities Regulatory Commission last November for listing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Over the past few years, the company has become the Olympic partner of Mongolia, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. And in 2010, it became the official partner of the International Basketball Federation.
Jordan is considered one of the greatest basketball players in the world. He played 13 seasons for the Chicago bulls and led the team to win six NBA Championship titles. In March 2010, he became owner of the Charlotte Bobcats.
NBA breakout star Jeremy Lin may face similar issues in China.
A woman in the eastern province of Jiangsu has already registered his name, in Chinese characters, as a trademark.
Lin is applying for a trademark in the United States using the term "Linsanity," which is widely used to describe his meteoric rise to fame, according to the United States Patent and Trademark Office website.
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