Zion Church Cries Foul In Trademark Dispute With Adidas
ZION, Ill. (CBS) -- There's a legal battle underway between church and court -- the basketball court, that is.
And Bulls star Derrick Rose is being drawn into the middle of it.
CBS 2's Derrick Blakley reports on the dispute between a small, Lake County congregation and an international sportswear giant.
Rose plays for the Bulls but plays in Adidas shoes. His Rose Two line of shoes are promoted under the Adidas "Adi-Zero" trademark.
That's where Pastor E. James Logan of Christian Faith Fellowship Church comes in.
His logo -- the words "add-a-zero" inside a Christian cross -- was intended to boost fundraising. It's featured on caps, T-shirts and sweatshirts.
Even though the church used the slogan first, but Adidas wants them to give it up.
"The church went and they registered the trademark in the patent and trademark office exactly as they should," church attorney Richard Young says. "Adidas started using the mark after that. Then, about two years ago, Adidas decided they wanted to register it. And so they went to the patent office and the patent office said no."
The corporation is asking the patent office to cancel the church's trademark altoghether, arguing it doesn't use it enough.
Not so, says the pastor. And he's fighting back, making a direct written appeal to Rose.
"I kind of hoped he'd intervene, intercede so to speak, and be a voice of reason with Adidas and say, 'Let's just kind of resolve this with the church,'" Logan says.
So far, there's been no response from Adidas or Rose, even in the wake of his new, $95 million dollar contract.
Adidas has offered to pay the church to drop the logo, but it's only offered $5,000. So, unless Adidas adds a zero or two of its own, the pastor says, he has no intention of abandoning a logo that was inspired by God.
