Michael Jordan Gets Big Win In Chinese Court With Qiaodan Ruling

China's highest court today "ruled largely in favor" of Hornets Owner Michael Jordan, overturning previous lower-court rulings and holding that he "owns the legal rights to the Chinese characters of the equivalent of his name." The four-year lawsuit pitted Jordan against Qiaodan Sports Company, which he "accused of building a brand around the Mandarin transliteration of his name." The verdict from the Supreme People's Court reversed prior rulings that Qiaodan "could use the Chinese characters for Jordan to sell their goods" (N.Y. TIMES, 12/8).

Jordan "previously argued unsuccessfully in Beijing courts" that the company "had used his Chinese name 'Qiaodan' by which he has been known since he gained widespread popularity in the mid-1980s, his old jersey number 23 and basketball player logo to make it look like he was associated with their brand" (AP, 12/8).