Michael Jordan wins IP case in China

NBA great Michael Jordan has claimed a victory in China, with the nation’s high court ruling that a Chinese sportswear company can’t sell merchandise using his name in Chinese characters, The Wall Street Journal reports. China’s Supreme People’s Court overturned two previous rulings by Beijing courts against Mr. Jordan Thursday, saying Fujian-based Qiaodan Sports Co. can’t use his Chinese name as a trademark. The court said Mr. Jordan’s name has longstanding recognition in China, and the Chinese sports company’s trademark registration came with an “obvious subjective malice.” The ruling didn’t include any financial damages to Mr. Jordan. The high court also said the company can still use the pinyin-system Romanized spelling of Mr. Jordan’s last name in Chinese – Qiaodan.