Page 12 - iAV Edition #489

iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine
Bruce Lee's Daughter
Sues Fast Food Chain
Over Image Use
A company run by Bruce Lee's daughter is suing a popular Chinese fast food chain over its use of an image of the late martial arts star.
Shannon Lee's Bruce Lee Enterprises alleges Real Kungfu has used the image in its logo without per- mission.
The firm wants the fast food chain to immedi- ately remove the image, and is reportedly seek- ing $30m (£23.1m) in com- pensation.
The restaurant argues local authorities approved its use
of the logo.
The image depicts a dark- haired man in a martial arts pose.
"The Real Kungfu chain's logo is one that the com- pany had applied for and obtained after a rigorous
screening by the national trade- mark agency, we have already been using this for 15 years", the company said in a statement posted on China's Weibo platform.
"We are baffled that after so many
years we are now being sued, and we are currently energetically studying the case and preparing our response."
The Guangzhou- based fast food chain, which is known as Zhen Gongfu in
Mandarin, was founded in 1990 and has around 600 outlets across China.
Bruce Lee Enterprises han- dles the merchan- dising and licens- ing of the kung fu star's image.
In a statement on
its website, the company said it is "dedicated to sharing the art and philosophy of
Bruce Lee to inspire personal growth, positive energy, and glob- al harmony and aims to keep the martial artist's energy alive".
Bruce Lee Enterprises did not immediately respond to a request for com- ment.
The case is likely to be watched closely as the Chinese govern- ment has in recent years promised to increase protec- tions for intellec- tual property rights
iAV - Antelope Valley Digital Magazine