Mr. Jordan will have to provide sufficient evidence that his fame preceded Qiaodan Sports' trademarks, said Horace Lam, a Beijing-based intellectual-property partner of law firm Jones Day.
"Mr. Jordan is not interested in putting Qiaodan out of business, but he wants to reclaim his name and identity, " said Josh Gartner, a spokesman for Mr. Jordan's legal teams at Jun He Law Offices and Fangda Partners.