Former NBA player Michael Jordan's lawyers said that he will "take a trademark dispute with a Chinese sports firm to China's supreme court," escalating one of "several cases accusing local firms of illegally imitating global brands," according to Adam Jourdan of REUTERS. Jordan sued Qiaodan Sports in '12, saying that the sportswear firm located in southern Fujian province had "built its business around his Chinese name" and famous jersey number "23" without his permission. Earlier this year, a court ruled in favor of Qiaodan over the trademark dispute, and this ruling was "recently upheld by the Beijing Municipal High People's Court." A spokesperson for Jordan's legal team said that he will "now take the case to China's top court." The statement said, "In light of the trademark dispute ruling, we intend to appeal to the Supreme People's Court for retrial." It added that a separate case with Qiaodan Sports over naming rights was "still ongoing." Asked about the latest ruling, Ren Juan, a member of Qiaodan Sports' legal department, said, "Qiaodan Sports will respect the judgment of the court." She declined to comment further. Jordan's case is one of "several involving foreign firms facing trademark tangles in China" (REUTERS, 5/15).
