Chinese fast-food chain Real Kungfu has an illustration of a man who appears to be Bruce Lee in their logo.
A company run by the late action star’s daughter has sued Real Kungfu over its use of Lee’s image in its logo without obtaining permission. The lawsuit is seeking a compensation amounting to over USD 30 million dollars or 210 million yuan.
Bruce Lee Enterprises, based in California and run by Shannon Lee, filed the complaint against the fast-food chain in a Shanghai court last Wednesday. This is according to the Chinese news outlet Paper. In the legal complaint, the firm requested to prevent Real Kungfu from using Lee’s image as well as an additional 88,000 yuan to pay for legal fees.
Aside from that, the lawsuit is also asking that the chain — based in Guangzhou — issue a notice for 90 days to clarify that it had nothing to do with the late Kung Fu legend. Real Kungfu first opened back in 1990 and now has franchises in over 57 cities in China serving rice bowls and Chinese dishes.
Its logo features an illustration of a man in the likeness of Bruce Lee wearing his iconic yellow jumpsuit. His recognizable stance also features the late movie star’s “ready to strike” pose.
On Thursday, Real Kungfu responded to news of the lawsuit saying it was “puzzled.” The company was evidently surprised that the lawsuit came about since the logo has been used for 15 years. It claims that national authorities had approved the logo in question before it was used.
