NBA legend and Nike Inc. icon Michael Jordan on Wednesday said he has filed a lawsuit in China against a Chinese sports brand he says is using his name without authorization.
The company has registered the name “Qiaodan,” which Jordan says is the moniker he has been known by in China since he became a recognizable figure there in the mid-1980s.
Under that name, Qiaodan has grown from $45.6 million in sales in 2007 to $456 million in 2010. It has more than 30 franchises and as many as 5,000 specialty stores. Qiaodan has filed for more than 100 similar trademarks, including those using Jordan’s uniform number 23 and several featuring the names of Jordan’s sons, Jeffrey and Marcus, in Chinese characters, the claim alleges.
“During my basketball career and now as a businessman, I’ve worked hard to establish my identity and brand, and I take tremendous pride in the shoes and apparel that feature my name and logo,” Jordan said in a news release. “I am taking this action to preserve ownership of my name and my brand.”
Beyond just the lawsuit, Jordan has launched a full-fledged media campaign that includes a new website that features a video of Jordan explaining why he needs to protect his brand image.
According to a news release, Jordan was first introduced to Chinese consumers while playing for the U.S. basketball team during the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and became a fixture there after the 1987 NBA All-Star game in Seattle, which was the first NBA game ever broadcast in China.
“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,” Jordan said. “Chinese fans have always been very supportive of me, and that’s something I deeply appreciate. I think they deserve to know what they are buying.”
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