In China Qiaodan means Jordan.
So, a very smart Chinese company registered the name and started to make shoes, clothes and other apparel off of it. Since they never specifically say that it is based off Michael Jordan, they have been able to get away with it for years.
The real Michael Jordan though is trying to put a stop to it.
In a statement released through his spokeswoman, Jordan says he’s worked hard to establish his name and calls the issue “deeply disappointing to see a company build a business off my Chinese name without my permission, use the number 23 and even attempt to use the names of my children.”
Jordan says he’s “This complaint is not about money, it’s about principle and protecting my name.”
The Chinese company has registered and uses the name “Qiaodan” – the moniker Jordan has been known by in China since he gained widespread popularity in the mid-1980s.
I think it was a brilliant business move by the Chinese company, even if it was a little shady. I am not a lawyer, so I don’t know if Jordan can win a case against an overseas company, but we shall see.