Michael Jordan sportswear

BEIJING—Basketball celebrity jordan has actually cried foul against a sportswear string right here, saying it really is incorrectly with the Chinese form of their name.

Qiaodan Sports Co. has actually profited by illegally using their name on its advertising products and services and products since the 1980s, Mr. Jordan stated in a prepared statement. Qiaodan is pronounced more or less as cheow-DAN in Mandarin.

Mr. Jordan filed suit in China—the newest dispute over intellectual residential property in the country.

Qiaodan Sports, based in the coastal province of Fujian, sells athlete-branded basketball shoes and jerseys with its 5, 715 shops in China and is getting ready to raise 1.1 billion yuan ($175 million) in a community listing in Shanghai. The organization uploaded revenue of 341.5 million yuan on 1.7 billion yuan in revenue for last year's first half.

Qiaodan Sports stated it's the exclusive right to the Qiaodan trademark and it is operating "in accordance with Chinese rules." A Qiaodan Sports spokesman declined further opinion Thursday.

"personally i think the necessity to protect my title, my identification, while the Chinese consumers, " Mr. Jordan stated in a video clip on a site devoted to his claims. "It is about principle—protecting my identity and my title, " he stated. Any damage prize could be committed to advertising baseball in China, he stated.

Naming rights and trademarks very long have-been problems in China. General Motors Corp.GM 0.85 % in 2005 achieved a settlement with Chery vehicle Co. after GM said the Chinese business's title ended up being also similar to "Chevy, " the nickname for GM's Chevrolet brand name. Such battles have been in the limelight recently as international companies rush to tap Asia's developing consumer culture. Apple Inc.AAPL -0.16 per cent is within court in Asia over perhaps the organization keeps the iPad trademark.

Numerous recreations organizations here are also trying to take advantage of the abrupt rise in popularity of National Basketball Association surprise standout Jeremy Lin, attempting to sell tees and jerseys bearing their title. China's Wuxi Risheng Sports Utility Co. says it reserved the legal rights just last year to use his Chinese title, Lin Shuhao.

Qiaodan Sports initially registered for the rights to utilize Mr. Jordan's Chinese moniker in 1997, when it placed on use the name aided by the logo design of a baseball player at bat, based on the trademark company of Asia's State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

Mr. Jordan doesn't hold an authorized trademark for their Chinese title in China, but legal specialists said that may perhaps not matter. Chinese law generally speaking protects parties whom hold registrations and whom file early for them. But a provision claims organizations can't easily utilize the names of celebrities, just because the people lack subscribed trademarks.

A Chinese courtroom in December ruled for former NBA player Yao Ming, which challenged Wuhan Yunhe Sharks Sportswear Co. for making use of his name and logo "Yao Ming Era" on its services and products. The company ended up being forced to end utilizing the title and pay damages of 300, 000 yuan. Another NBA player from China, Yi Jianlian, last April prevailed over Fujian Yi Jianlian Sport products Co., whenever a court held that an "person's title right should always be seen as a prior correct."

Mr. Yao and Mr. Yi are popular athletes in China and appropriate experts stated their instances will help Mr. Jordan's. Mr. Jordan will need to provide enough evidence that their fame preceded Qiaodan Sports' trademarks, said Horace Lam, a Beijing-based intellectual-property partner of lawyer Jones Day.

That'll seem simple for a star just who won six NBA titles because of the Chicago Bulls, starting in 1991, but "there is nevertheless great anxiety, " Mr. Lam said. Previous rulings may have sided utilizing the various other people because they are Chinese nationals, he said.

Qiaodan Sports probably will matter the reason why Mr. Jordan did not lodge fit sooner, said Dan Harris, somebody at law practice Harris & Moure. "Chinese judges are not looking to shut a small business down and lay off tens of thousands of employees, " he said. Mr. Jordan could settle using the organization, permitting Qiaodan to use his title for a licensing fee, Mr. Harris said.