Michael Jordan loses trademark case against Chinese company

“It read: “‘Qiaodan” is not the only name that corresponds to “Jordan, ‘ and “Jordan” is only an ordinary surname of American people, not a full name.

In the past, Chinese authorities and a lower court denied Jordan’s request, but he did appeal the decision. He appealed to the Beijing Higher People’s Court, which has ruled against him, the Chinese news portal Sohu reported. But the IPO has been hampered by Jordan’s suit for three years, and now Qiaodan Sports is now commonly known, both in home and overseas, as a knockoff.

A Beijing court ruled “Jordan” was not the only possible translation for “Qiaodan” and that the logo had no facial features, so it was hard for consumers to identify it as Jordan, according to AFP.

“Qiaodan” is a Chinese version of Jordan’s name and the shoes that were the subject of Jordan’s lawsuit feature a basketball player that resembles the Nike Air Jordan “Jumpman” logo.

Jordan petitioned the Trademark Appraisal Committee (TAC) under the State Administration for Industry & Commerce as early as 2012, demanding the cancellation of more than 75 relevant trademarks owned by Qiaodan Sportswear.

China’s Supreme Court in Beijing dismissed the trademark suit against Qiaodan under the grounds that there was insufficient evidence to conclude that the sportswear company’s trademarks referred to the six-time National Basketball Association champion. The company filed the suit, alleging that its reputation was damaged as a result of the case, and it was seeking $8 million in damages.

China has long been seen as a counterfeiters’ haven and has constantly been criticised by its trade partners over lax protection of intellectual property rights. He said that the country was continuing to make improvements that ensure that people have a platform that addresses violations in regards to intellectual property rights. Yao Ming, who used to play for the Houston Rockets, sued a sportswear company in 2011.