Chinese Ball Maker Owns Trademark on Jeremy Lin

(The Wall Street Journal) - As attention focuses on the few who first saw potential in surprise Knicks standout Jeremy Lin, a Chinese sportswear company has drawn local headlines for spotting his talent -- and taking out a trademark on his Chinese name.

The maker of soccer balls and basketballs named Wuxi Risheng Sports Utility Co. applied for a trademark for Lin Shuhao in 2010, according to government records.

That year, Lin graduated from Harvard University but was ignored during the NBA Draft, leaving little indication that he would become a high-scoring starter for the New York Knicks as well as a global media darling.

The company also registered a variant of his English name, Jeremy S.H.L. It's unclear whether anyone in China has trademarked the English name "Jeremy Lin."

As of Wednesday evening the website of the trademark office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce (SAIC) was failing to work properly.

Risheng Sports's owner, Yu Minjie, couldn't be reached for comment. Articles in the local media have quoted Yu as saying she was intrigued by Lin at an early stage but that his rise to prominence was "totally unexpected."

According to a filing on SAIC's website, Risheng Sports registered the Lin trademark for a variety of uses, including balls, outfits, shoes, toys, gym facilities and ornaments.

Other filings show Risheng Sports claims trademarks for other famous basketball players, including the Chinese name of Yi Jianlian, a Chinese center who now plays for the Dallas Mavericks, and also has a trademark on the Chinese name for "Jordan's Kingdom" -- an apparent reference to Michael Jordan -- for use on balls.

Read more: The Wall Street Journal