Soccer Legend Pelé To Sue For $US30 Million Over Samsung Ad

Soccer Legend Pelé To Sue For $US30 Million Over Samsung Ad

Brazilian soccer legend Pelé is set to sue Korean electronics giant Samsung for a reported $US30 million after it used, what he believes, was a likeness of his image in ads for its television sets.

Apparently, Pelé was initially approached to be in the print ads, however, negotiations stalled and Pelé now alleges that Samsung simply used a doppelgänger instead.

The offending ad only ever appeared in the New York Times.

The offending ad with alleged doppelgänger:

samsungpele

The actual Pelé:2304442_full-lnd

Reuters is reporting that lawsuit documents, filed by the firm which owns his trademark and publicity rights worldwide and called Pelé IP Ownership, also argue that the football image used on-screen in the ad is also very similar to Pelé’s famed scissor-kick manoeuvre and that Pelé had endorsed the TVs.

Samsung has yet not publicly commented on the case.




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