China's Supreme Court has resolved a protracted legal dispute by ordering Qiaodan Sports to cease using the Chinese translation of basketball icon Michael Jordan's name, marking a significant victory for intellectual property protections. The ruling concludes an eight-year battle between the six-time NBA champion and the Fujian-based sportswear company, which had registered trademarks featuring the phonetic equivalent of Jordan's name, Qiao Dan.
The court's decision overturns prior rulings that had allowed Qiaodan Sports to retain its trademarks, while permitting the firm to maintain its logo—a silhouette of a basketball player resembling Nike's iconic Jumpman emblem. The case was referred to the State Intellectual Property Office for further review of the logo's legality. Despite the ruling, Qiaodan Sports asserted that its existing trademarks and operations would remain unaffected, citing over 5,700 stores nationwide and 200 registered trademarks tied to Jordan since 2010.
Founded in 2000, the company has pursued nearly 200 trademark applications, including variations of "Qiaodan" and related terms like "Flying Power" and "Qiaodan King." In 2016, Jordan secured rights to his Chinese name, but the court upheld Qiaodan's use of the Romanized "Qiaodan" trademark. The case aligns with broader U.S.-China trade tensions over intellectual property, following a 2017 ruling that saw New Balance awarded $1.5 million in damages after a Chinese firm copied its "N" logo.
The verdict comes as China surpassed the U.S. in international patent filings, according to the UN, reflecting shifting dynamics in global intellectual property enforcement. Jordan's legal team emphasized the importance of protecting athletes' identities in markets where brand recognition drives commercial value.
