Real Kungfu, a popular Chinese fast-food chain, is being sued by Shannon Lee’s Bruce Lee Enterprises for using the image of the late martial arts star as its logo.
The lawsuit was filed in a Shanghai court by Bruce Lee’s daughter who accuses the restaurant of using her father’s image for 15 years without paying intellectual property rights.
Accordingly, Shannon wants the fast-food chain to immediately stop using the image aside from her request to get compensated with an amount of 210 million yuan (US$30 million).
Bruce Lee Enterprises, as stated in its website, is responsible for merchandising and licensing of all the famed martial artist’s images.
Shannon, who took over the company from her mother, has been actively involved in keeping her father’s legacy alive.
Meanwhile, the defendant said it was puzzled with the allegations and stressed that the logo used in their restaurants for more than a decade now was legally permitted by Chinese authorities.
“We’re confused that we are prosecuted many years later. We’re actively studying the case and preparing to respond,” the company said in a statement.
Founded in 1990, the Guangzhou-based fast-food chain began using a logo bearing similarities to the famed actor in 2004. The logo features a black-haired, yellow-clad man striking a kung fu pose.
Real Kungfu is hailed by the China Cuisine Association as one of the top 10 fast-food companies in China, with more than 600 stores operating nationwide.
