Qiaodan Sports countersues Jordan over company name

Qiaodan Sports Co Ltd, which was sued by the former US basketball player Michael Jordan for unauthorized use of his name in 2012, has filed a countersuit against the star, claiming his lawsuit misled customers and the public.

Jordan's suit stopped the company from getting listed, and the company is asking him to restore its reputation, Qiaodan Sports said in a statement sent to China Daily.

The Chinese sportswear manufacturer, based in Fujian province, has also requested $8 million in compensation. The claim was filed with Quanzhou Intermediate People's Court on April 2, the company said.

Jordan, who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles during the 1990s, is known in China by the name Qiaodan - the Chinese translation of Jordan - since he was first seen on Chinese TV playing for the US basketball team in the 1984 Olympic Games.

"Michael Jordan has not received notice from relevant authorities about Qiaodan's countersuit," a spokesperson for his legal advisers told China Daily on Tuesday.

Legal experts were mixed in their opinions on the case.

Fu Minrong, a lawyer with Xinwenhui Law Firm in Shanghai, said he did not think Jordan's suit in 2012 infringed the company's reputation.

He added the new suit did not affect the previous one as the two are independent.

Li Shaowei, an associate in the investment bank department of China Securities Co Ltd, added that he thought Jordan's lawsuit had had an adverse effect on Qiaodan's listing process.