Abdul-Jabbars Agree Kareem Holds Rights
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the leading scorer in NBA history, has reached a settlement with Karim Abdul-Jabbar of the Miami Dolphins in the former basketball player’s lawsuit alleging trademark infringement by the football player.
A joint statement issued Wednesday said the parties have agreed that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar holds the trademark rights to that name for commercial purposes.
To differentiate between the two, the football player will be known as “Abdul†for the purposes of commercialism.
“We are very pleased that an amicable settlement has been reached in this matter,†Kareem Abdul-Jabbar said in the statement. “The issue was strictly about protecting my name, which has been trademarked for commercial purposes, on behalf of myself and those sponsors and endorsement companies for which I work.
“This settlement will help create a clear delineation in the marketplace of goods and services between Karim and myself. This was never a personal issue.â€
Said Karim Abdul-Jabbar: “I want to be sure there is no more confusion on this situation and I am glad that we were able to come to an amicable conclusion.â€
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who starred for UCLA and the Lakers, filed suit in November claiming the Dolphin football player, who played at UCLA, took that name without permission.
Both men changed their names in accordance with their Muslim faith.
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