Shannon Lee wants 210 million yuan (30 million dollars) from a Chinese fast food chain whose logo, she says, is her father. The filing is in Shanghai No.2 Intermediate People’s Court, and the defendant is Real Kungfu, a Guangzhou-based chain.
She also wants the company to stop using the image of the Hong Kong-American martial artist and actor. The sum sought by Bruce Lee Enterprises rests on 15 years of backlogged endorsement fees owed to the family.
Real Kungfu was founded in the Guangdong provincial capital in 1990 and says it has more than 600 outlets across China. It began as the 168 Steamed Fast Food Restaurant. It was renamed in 2004 but did not approach Lee’s heirs about a license, Chinese state media reported, saying the marketing company handling the rebrand had advised that course.
The company’s reply came in a statement on Thursday. “The fact we are being sued is confusing to us,” it said. “We are actively studying the case and preparing for court.”
It is the second time Shannon Lee has sparred with the chain. The first was in 2010, as she began to regain the rights and trademarks tied to her father and his films.
She has also taken on a film. After a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of Bruce Lee appeared in Quentin Tarantino’s “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” she reportedly complained to Chinese film authorities. State-run media reported that they kept the film out of the country’s cinemas despite heavy investment from Beijing-based Bona Film Group.
The Nation Online called the suit a possible bellwether for Beijing’s promises to strengthen intellectual property protections.
