Michael Jordan awarded damages for “emotional harm,” but he still doesn’t have full ownership of his name in China

As the new year begins, former NBA superstar Michael Jordan still doesn’t have full ownership of his name in China, but at least he has a little extra pocket change in his pocket.

In the latest development in Michael Jordan’s years-long trademark litigation, a Shanghai court ruled this week that Jordan Sports, which has used Jordan’s name as a brand for decades, did so without authorization and with the intent to “mislead” consumers. Qiaodan Sports was ordered to pay Michael Jordan 300,000 RMB in “emotional damages” and 50,000 RMB in legal fees.

However, the ruling does not appear to prohibit the company’s right to use the hanyu pinyin of Jordan’s name.

The court ruled that the company must stop using the Chinese character for “Qiaodan” in its name and product trademarks, and publicly apologize in print and online to clarify that it has no connection to the basketball player himself. It must also take “reasonable steps” to clarify that its old trademark has no actual connection to the NBA star.

The ruling is consistent with an earlier decision by China’s Supreme Court. In April, it issued a landmark ruling in favor of Michael Jordan, declaring Qiaodan Sports’ use of Jordan’s name illegal. But the ruling did not rule that Jordan’s other logos, including a silhouette of a basketball player jumping up and dunking, violated Michael Jordan’s rights and recommended a new trial.

According to a subsequent statement issued by Jordan Sports, of the 78 trademarks of Jordan Sports, Michael Jordan won only four, and Jordan Sports won 74. In other words, except for the “Jordan + Graphics” combination trademark, which cannot continue to be used, Qiaodan Sports’ other core assets have not been affected.

Last January, Beijing signed the first phase of the U.S.-China trade war agreement, announcing that it would improve protection of intellectual property rights.

QiaoDan is a sports goods manufacturer founded in 1998 in Fujian, China, with nearly 6,000 stores throughout China.

The company has registered about 200 trademarks related to QiaoDan, but has never been licensed by U.S. NBA basketball star Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan has filed 80 lawsuits against the company since 2012.