Chinese company uses Michael Jordan's name illegally, faces lawsuit
February 24, 2012
Michael Jordan, basketball legend, businessman and athletic Renaissance man, is suing Chinese company Qiaodan for using his Chinese name without permission. Jordan established a brand decades ago, and his name and logo can be found on sneakers and sportswear. The Chinese sportswear featuring Jordan's Chinese name may soon be pulled from shelves across the Asian nation, as Jordan did not give the company the rights to use his namesake.
"It is deeply disappointing to see a company build a business off my Chinese name without my permission, use the number 23 and even attempt to use the names of my children," said Jordan. "I am taking this action to preserve ownership of my name and my brand. We live in a competitive marketplace, and Chinese consumers, like anyone else, have a huge amount of choice when it comes to buying clothing, shoes and other merchandise. Chinese fans have always been supportive of me, and that's something I deeply appreciate. I think they deserve to know what they're buying."
Those who are out of the country can make calls to China and ask their friends if they've seen any of the goods that are causing such a controversy.