No Bull: Michael Jordan battling supermarket company in court

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Opening statements were made Wednesday by Michael Jordan's lawyers in their lawsuit against Dominick's and its parent company, Safeway, for using the former basketball star's likeness without permission in a 2009 print advertisement.

Lawyers for the supermarket chain, now extinct, also made remarks, suggesting that jurors should not use Jordan's multi-million dollar deals with Nike, Hanes and Gatorade to determine what it owes Jordan. The company already has been found liable by the court, but believes smaller deals Jordan has made recently were fairer comparisons for restitution.

In the advertisement, which appeared in Sports Illustrated, Jordan's name and No. 23 is depicted alongside a $2 coupon for Rancher's Reserve Steaks. The commemorative issue sold just 41,000 copies, all in the Chicago area, but Jordan's attorneys still argued in court that such a campaign using Jordan's likeness would have been worth excess of $10 million.

[NBC SHOP: Gear up, Bulls fans!]

Nike paid Jordan $480 million from 2000 to 2012, and he's also received $18 million from Gatorade, $14 million from Hanes and Upper Deck, and $10.6 million from XEL, a fragrance company.

In the Chicago Tribune's report, Kim Janssen reported specifically what Jordan and his attorneys are looking for:

Neither side gave an explicit amount that they want the jury to order Dominick's to pay Jordan. Jordan's attorneys said only that they are not seeking the full $10 million they say the ad was worth, but that they want an amount sufficient to "ensure that Michael Jordan can choose who uses his identity and how they use it."

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