Michael Jordan to Be Awarded $8.9 Million in Dominick's Lawsuit over Ad
Michael Jordan's name and likeness are not to be used without his consent.
According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, Safeway Inc., which owns Dominick's, has been ordered by a federal jury to pay Jordan $8.9 million after its subsidiary used the basketball legend's name in a 2009 advertisement:
The Associated Press confirmed Rovell's report.
Jordan discussed the verdict in a statement shortly after the jury's decision was announced (via Rovell):
While Dominick's is now defunct, Safeway was ordered to foot the bill for the damages, as it acquired the supermarket chain in a $1.2 billion deal in 1998.
Safeway argued that it should not have had to pay more than $126,900, per the Chicago Tribune's Kim Janssen, but Jordan's point of view evidently resonated.
"I have the final say-so on everything that involves my likeness and my name," Jordan told the jury on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press' Carla K. Johnson.
According to Forbes, Jordan's net worth already hovered around $1 billion, so it's safe to say this wasn't about the money, which he indicated will be donated to charity, per Janssen.
With the lawsuit resolved, the Charlotte Hornets majority owner can now refocus his attention on propelling the franchise back to the playoffs following a disappointing 2014-15 season.
