A few years ago, the likeness of Michael Jordan appeared on three different cards produced by Panini. This led to a clash between the card company and one of its competitors, Upper Deck. That battle has finally been resolved, putting to rest one of the most controversial card-related issues in recent memory.
Upper Deck and Panini have settled their Michael Jordan lawsuit, according to @business.
Upper Deck argued that Michael Jordan's appearance in photos on Panini cards in the background violated UD's exclusive.
Terms not known.
(H/T @DanRafael1)
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) June 14, 2021
According to an article posted by Bloomberg Law, the two card companies have come to an agreement to end litigation that has lasted for almost 18 months. A lawyer representing Upper Deck added that both parties have come to a confidential agreement to end the Michael Jordan issue at hand.
This development will lead to Panini and Upper Deck filing a joint stipulation soon. In turn, this action will dismiss the case in court with finality. While this will eventually happen this month, the actual details of the agreement between these two card manufacturers will remain confidential from the public.
The case was originally filed by Upper Deck at the start of 2020 against Panini for inserting photos of Jordan on three of their cards. Upper Deck holds an exclusive agreement with His Airness to feature him on their products. This contract strictly forbids other card companies to even insinuate the likeness of Jordan on their offerings.
One of the cards in question belongs to Panini’s 2017 Optic set and features Scottie Pippen as the featured player. A small image of a player resembling Michael Jordan can be seen in the bottom right area of the card, which constitutes Upper Deck’s basis to sue Panini.
With this issue finally resolved, the two companies can now move on from this drama and focus on providing great products for avid collectors. In turn, the industry itself will benefit from this positive development in the long run. Onward and upward!
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