Former Turkish footballer ‘Kadıköy bull’ sues clothing brand for ‘stealing’ his logo
Dinçer Gökçe – ISTANBUL
Former Fenerbahçe football club player Serhat Akın has filed a lawsuit against Akbulut, the Turkish extension of the Denmark-based Hummel clothing brand, for selling products with the logo of a bull accompanied by the phrase “Kadıköy bull,” which he claims as his own nickname.
The former footballer, who entered the media’s radar last year after joining the Turkish version of the popular reality show Survivor, has demanded 21,000 Turkish Liras (around $6,000) in compensation from the textile company.
In the lawsuit, Akın, 37, claims to have designed the bull logo himself and been given the name “Kadıköy bull” by fans.
Accordingly, Akın filed a lawsuit against the company on Jan. 12 at the Bakırköy Civil Court for Intellectual and Industrial Property Rights of Istanbul. The lawsuit stresses that Akın wore a t-shirt bearing the same “bull” design during the Survivor show and that the patent of the logo belonged to him.
The lawsuit also says Akın actually held a meeting with the clothes company over the sale of intellectual rights, but the firm offered him a low price and he turned the offer down.
Akın has also said the company, along with other e-commerce companies, have been using his name to advertise their products with the “bull” logo on their online sale websites, using names such as “Serhat Akın Shorts” and “Serhat Akın Zip Hoodie.”
The petition has also asked the court to have an expert analyze the case and calculate how much money the company had “unjustly” made using his name.
Of the 21,000 liras demanded in compensation, 20,000 liras consists of damages for mental anguish.
