Michael Jordan Seeks to Get Back Use of His Name

Michael Jordan Seeks to Get Back Use of His Name for Eatery

Gave up right in 1990; Seeks to get it back after bankruptcy of licensee's restaurant

Chicago, June 1, 2000 -- Michael Jordan isn't someone who likes to lose. And he is trying to win back something he never thought he could lose -- his name.

Jordan seeks to use his name in association with a restaurant. But it is not that easy because he is attempting to legally win back what he agreed to give Chicago clothiers Joseph and Gene Silverberg in 1990, the right to use Jordan's name and likeness in association with a Chicago restaurant. The Associated Press reported that the 1990 contract gave the Silverberg's exclusive right to Jordan's name for an unlimited time in Chicago. The restaurant, Michael Jordan's Restaurant, closed in December and filed for bankruptcy in March.

Jordan now wants his name back. "Mr. Jordan's most valuable asset is his name and the goodwill associated with it," his lawyer argued in court filings. The Silverbergs' lawyers responded that the Silverbergs never did anything to damage Jordan's reputation, according to a report in the Chicago Sun Times. It reported that Jonathan Albert, a Jordan ally, said that the Silverbergs "tarnished the name [Michael Jordan] by making disparaging remarks about the superstar after he retired from the Chicago Bulls, suggesting that his following among fans was waning, and proposing to rename his restaurant for Chicago Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa."

The Silverberg's claim that their "contract gives them control of the name" in the city. As Jordan and all who are involved understand, "control of the name in the city" when the name is Michael Jordan and the city is Chicago, is quite a big deal. The restaurant license and the license to operate a retail gift shop have some value, especially if the judge allows the bankruptcy trustee (now the defendant) to sell the rights to someone who would want to operate the restaurant in another part of Chicago.

In trying to convince the court to give him his name back, Jordan's agent and leadoff witness David Falk told the court, "In marketing, Michael Jordan's name is like magic in a bottle." Falk described him as "the most popular human being on the planet" and "the most visible person in the world."

Matthew Roberts