SHANGHAI (AFP) – NBA star basketball centre Yao Ming has sued a sportswear company in central China for $1.5 million for using his name and signature without permission, Chinese media reported Friday.
The Wuhan Intermediate Court heard the case against the Wuhan Yunhe Shark sportswear company on Wednesday, the Chutian Metropolis Daily newspaper reported.
The oft-injured 30-year-old Houston Rockets centre did not appear in the courtroom where his lawyers argued the company's "Yao Ming Generation" label and associated advertising campaigns misled consumers, the report said.
They also argued the company had damaged Yao's personal brand, which they valued at more than $1 billion. The $1.5 million in damages sought were based on how much Yao earned from similar authorised campaigns, it added.
Yao?s status as China?s most popular athlete and a star with global appeal has led to endorsement deals with Nike, Pepsi, McDonald's and China Telecom.
A lawyer for the sportswear company argued the name "Yao Ming Generation" did not refer to the NBA star alone but an entire generation of Chinese people.
The company's website features a basketball player, but does not show Yao's face.
The court did not say when it would issue a verdict.
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