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Court rules Jumpman-like 'Qiaodan' logo doesn't infringe on Michael Jordan's brand

REUTERS/Aly Song

Michael Jordan's brand just got dunked on.

A Beijing court has dismissed a trademark suit that Jordan brought against Chinese sportswear company Qiaodan Sports Co., who use a logo similar to Jordan's "Jumpman" logo under the Nike umbrella.

The name "Qiaodan" is also misleading, as Jordan, who is immensely popular in China, is referred to primarily as the eponymous "Qiaodan." The company often uses the number 23 in their branding, and they've gone as far as to trademark the names of Jordan's sons.

Jordan brought the suit forward in 2013, asking Chinese authorities to revoke Qiaodan's trademark, arguing it was misleading customers as to Jordan's ties to the company. After that was refused, he brought it a lower Beijing court and later appealed to the Beijing Higher People's Court, according to Agence France-Presse.

The 2013 suit brought by Jordan delayed Qiaodan Sports from going public with an IPO, according to Sophie Song of the International Business Times, and the company countersued for $8 million. Jordan had initially asked for $183,000 in compensation, which he offered to invest in the growth of basketball in China.

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