海角大神

Jurors at a civil trial focused on the market value of聽Michael聽Jordan's聽identity have handed him a major win, ordering a grocery-store chain to pay him $8.9 million for invoking his name in a steak ad without his permission.

The amount was close to the $10 million his attorneys said the one-time use of his name was worth and聽Jordan聽hugged his lawyers after the decision was read Friday night in a federal court in Chicago, where聽Jordan聽won six NBA titles with the Bulls.

"I'm so used to playing on a different court," a visibly delighted聽Jordan聽told reporters outside the courthouse. "This shows I will protect my name to the fullest. ... It's my name and I worked hard for it ... and I'm not just going to let someone take it."

Jordan聽added that the case "was never about money" and that he'll give the damages award to charities in Chicago.

Stepping back into the courthouse, two jurors asked him for a photograph and he obliged by throwing his arms around them and smiling for a cellphone camera.

A judge ruled before trial that the now-defunct Dominick's Finer Foods, which was owned by Safeway, was liable. So the sole unresolved issue was damages for the unauthorized ad in a 2009 Sports Illustrated. It congratulated聽Jordan聽on his Hall of Fame induction and included a $2-off coupon above a photo of a sizzling steak. Jurors deliberated for six hours before returning with the $8.9 million figure, at one point sending a note to the judge that said, "We need a calculator."

Jordan's聽fame loomed over the case, with one would-be jurors struck from the jury pool after describing聽Jordan聽as his idol. During closings Friday,聽Jordan聽attorney Frederick Sperling appealed to city pride in trying to persuade jurors to side with聽Jordan.

"He gave us six championships," he told jurors,聽Jordan聽sitting nearby.

Steven Mandell, the Dominick's attorney, told jurors he was also proud of聽Jordan's聽accomplishments in sports. But he said聽Jordan's聽attorneys overvalued their client's name, saying jurors should award聽Jordan聽no more than $126,900.

Evidence presented during trial provided a peek at聽Jordan's聽extraordinary wealth, including the $480 million he made from Nike alone between 2000 to 2012.

Jordan testified at the trial that聽he would never have approved the Dominick's ad ."I feel like it was a misuse of my likeness and name," he said. "It didn't fit the strategy we were operating on." He also testified about the use of his brand name: "There is no decision that happens without my final approval,"

Among the witnesses was Estee Portnoy, a marketing executive hired by聽Jordan, who said she was shocked when she saw the Dominick's ad, which included the text, "Michael聽Jordan聽... You are a cut above."

Asked after the jury's decision whether he ever tried one of the steaks Dominick's advertised,聽Jordan聽laughed and noted his own namesake steakhouse was a few blocks away.

"You can go get a steak over there," he said.

Jordan has vigorously defended the use of his name for commercial products worldwide. But last month, he lost a lawsuit in China.聽

AFP reported:

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