The following article was written by Spencer Wingate.
Jeremy Lin is not the only basketball player involved in a trademark dispute. Michael Jordan filed a lawsuit against Jewel Food Stores and Supervalu contending an ad they ran infringed upon his trademark and business interests. The ad was in Sports Illustrated’s commemorative issue that honored Jordan being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. US District Judge Gary Feinerman has determined the ad was protected by the First Amendment and not intended to be for commercial purposes. Feinerman ruled the ad was not inviting readers to purchase any particular product, but instead serve as a means to congratulate Jordan on his illustrious achievements with the Chicago Bulls. Fred Sperling, Jordan’s attorney, has stated he will appeal the ruling. Jordan has an additional lawsuit ongoing against Domnick’s Finer Foods for another ad ran in Sports Illustrated. Trademark infringement is once again the issue at hand.