Steve Lipofsky at basketballphoto.com [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons
A quick update on our earlier blog about a lawsuit involving a supermarket that congratulated Michael Jordan on his Hall of Fame induction in an ad and included a $2 off coupon for steaks without his consent.  A jury just awarded Michael Jordan $8.9 million in damages which was close to the $10 million sought by his counsel and a whole lot more than the $126,900 defendants suggested was the appropriate damage amount.  Jordan could buy a whole lot of steak with that much money but has announced he’ll donate the award to local Chicago charities.  A damage award this high should make advertisers particularly cautious before invoking celebrity names.