Kawhi Leonard Sues Nike Over Use of Personal Logo

By Designergu | 06 June 2019 | 790 views | 0 Comments

CNBC reported that Toronto Raptors star Kawhi Leonard is taking on his former sponsor, Nike, in a trademark dispute over his personal logo.
The 2014 NBA champion, filed a lawsuit on Monday, alleging Nike filed a copyright of a logo he originally created without his permission, unbeknownst to him.

Leonard was a Nike-sponsored athlete from October 2011 until September 2014. He now has a sponsorship deal with competitor New Balance and wants to use his "Klaw" logo "on clothing lines, footwear and other products … in connection with sports camps and charity functions, but Nike explicitly objected to such uses," the lawsuit said.
The lawsuit claims that since his college years, Leonard came up with ideas for a personal logo that would be unique and meaningful to him. The "Klaw" logo in question is an outline of the basketball star’s hand that includes his initials and the number 2, which is his jersey number.
Leonard said he shared the logo with Nike and allowed them to use it on their merchandise but says he never transferred the rights to the logo. "Conversely as the many communications, including text and e-mails show, Leonard permitted Nike to use the Leonard logo for their mutual benefit ... for the term of their contract," it said.
Ultimately this case will come down to the licensing agreement between Leonard and Nike.Whatever the legal outcome, Edelman said from a public relations perspective, Nike has little upside.