Samsung Electronics is facing a lawsuit from Pelé seeking $30M in compensation, "after the football legend claimed the electronics group used a lookalike to promote its televisions last year," according to Song Jung-a of the FINANCIAL TIMES. The former Brazil footballer filed the lawsuit against Samsung in Chicago this month, "claiming that the South Korean group used his identity in a full-page advert for ultra high-definition TVs that appeared in the New York Times last October." The advertisement did not mention Pelé by name but featured a large portrait photograph of an elderly black man who "very closely resembles" him, in addition to a smaller picture of a white football player performing a "modified bicycle or scissors-kick, perfected and famously used by Pelé," the complaint said. The complaint added that the advert will "confuse consumers and hurt the value of Pelé's endorsement rights." The 75-year-old "relies on endorsements for much of his income." He has deals with companies including VW, Subway, Emirates and Procter & Gamble. Pelé earned $25M from endorsements in '14, when Brazil hosted the World Cup, according to Bloomberg Business. His value is "likely to rise further this year with the Olympic Games being held in Rio de Janeiro." Attorney Frederick Sperling said, "The goal is to obtain fair compensation for the authorized use of Pelé's identity and to prevent future unauthorized uses." It is "unclear how much Pelé could receive in damages" (FT, 3/30).
