Picture the sign above a rice-bowl restaurant in China: a dark-haired man in a yellow jumpsuit, caught mid-pose, ready to strike. For years, customers across the country have walked under that image. Now a court in Shanghai is being asked to decide whose face it really is.
Bruce Lee Enterprises, the firm run by Bruce Lee’s daughter Shannon Lee, is suing the fast-food chain Real Kungfu over the logo. It wants 210 million yuan, about US$30 million, plus 88,000 yuan to cover legal expenses, Chinese media including The Paper and Jiemian reported in late December 2019.
What the lawsuit asks for
The claim goes beyond money. Shannon Lee wants the chain to stop using her father’s image right away. She also wants it to put out a clarification for 90 days stating that it has nothing to do with the martial arts legend. Bruce Lee Enterprises is based in California; the chain, called “Zhen Gongfu” in China and known for steaming its food, is based in Guangzhou.
State-run Xinhua reported that the Shanghai court accepted the suit in early December. The defendants are Guangzhou Real Kungfu Catering Management Co. and two related companies, and the charge is portrait right infringement.
The chain pushes back
Real Kungfu, founded in 1990, sells rice bowls with Chinese dishes and has outlets in over 57 Chinese cities. In a post on its official Weibo account, it said it was “puzzled” by the case. The company said it has used the logo for 15 years, since 2004, and that national authorities approved the logo, even though there had been some issues in the past. It said it is preparing to respond.
The picture itself is plain enough: a figure in a yellow long-sleeved top whose look and stance resemble Bruce Lee’s, right down to his famous “ready to strike” pose.
Why people are watching
Reuters noted that the filing lands as China has pledged to improve protection for intellectual property rights and apply stiffer penalties, one of the key topics in Beijing’s trade dispute with the United States. Bloomberg said the case could test that pledge. No ruling has been reported yet.
Sources
- Bruce Lee's daughter sues Chinese fast-food chain for using late kung fu master's image (Reuters via NBC News)
- Bruce Lee heir hits China fast food chain with US$30 million suit (Bloomberg via Yahoo Finance Singapore)
