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10th Annual Michael Jordan Celebrity Invitational Celebrity Dinner In BESO At Crystals At CityCenter In Las Vegas

Source: Chris Weeks / Getty

The grocery store Dominick’s – which closed all its stores last year – has to pay $8.9 million to Michael Jordan after using his name and brand in a steak ad without permission in 2009, Complex reports.

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Arguing that it hurt his brand image, and doing this on principal, Jordan believed a law suit was the right approach. Upon hearing about the win, Jordan released the following statement:

I’m pleased with today’s verdict. No one — whether or not they’re a public figure — should have to worry about their identity being used without their permission. The case was not about the money as I plan to donate the proceeds to charity. It was about honesty and integrity. I hope this case sends a clear message, both here in the United States and around the world, that I will continue to be vigilant about protecting my name and identity. I also hope the size of the monetary reward will deter others from using someone else’s identity and believe they will only pay a small penalty.

ESPN sports business reporter, Darren Rovell tweeted the following:

Well, the moral to the story here is do not use anyone’s name and brand without their permission. And definitely not Michael Jordan’s.

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