China's top court ruled that Hall-of-Fame basketball player Michael Jordan who can have his name back.
The Supreme People's Court on Thursday revoked the rights of local sportswear-maker "Qiaodan Sports Company" to use Jordan's last name written in Chinese characters, handing a partial victory in his four-year campaign to win legal protection for his name that helps sell gear such as "Nike Incorporated" sneakers and clothing worldwide.
Michael Jordan's Chinese name is well-recognized in China and he should have the legal right to it, the Beijing-based court said in its verdict. "Qiaodan Sports," which operates about 6,000 shops selling shoes and sportswear in China, will have to give up its trademark registrations of the Chinese version of Qiaodan, pronounced "Chee-ow-dahn."
International companies such as "Tesla Motors Inc. and Apple Inc." have faced legal challenges in the world's second-largest economy, where the law generally protects whichever company registers a trademark first. While Jordan's victory could help set a precedent for foreign companies seeking to protect their intellectual property rights, more legal action is needed for global brands to capture the upper hand in their fight against China's copycats.
"Qiaodan Sports," a family-owned business based in southern Fujian province, had registered its trademark more than a decade ago. Michael Jordan sued the company in 2012, arguing it had damaged his legal rights to his name and asking that Qiaodan Sports' trademark registrations be removed. Lower courts had ruled in favor of the "Chinese Company."
"I am happy that the Supreme People's Court has recognized the right to protect my name through its ruling in the trademark cases. Chinese consumers deserve to know that Qiaodan Sports and its products have no connection to me," as stated by Michael Jordan, who's also Chief Executive Officer of Nike's Brand Jordan Division.
"I respect the Chinese legal system and look forward to the Shanghai Court's ruling on the separate naming rights case," added by Michael Jordan, who's also the owner of U.S. professional basketball team Charlotte Hornets.
