San Antonio Spurs player Victor Wembanyama, the NBA's rookie of the year, has filed a lawsuit against Texas man James T. Glodich for using his name without permission. The lawsuit targets Glodich's sale of merchandise branded "El Wemby" and "Wemby's World." According to KSAT, the United States Patent and Trademark Office has already rejected Glodich's trademark applications due to possible confusion with Wembanyama.
The merchandise features clothing with Wembanyama's likeness and was sold on Glodich's website. Wembanyama's legal team has sent several cease and desist letters, which have reportedly gone unanswered, according to FOX San Antonio. His attorneys claim Glodich's actions infringe on Wembanyama's privacy, harm his reputation, and mislead consumers.
In the lawsuit, Wembanyama's lawyers are asking a judge to stop the sale of the disputed products and to compensate him for any financial harm. Glodich declined to comment on the legal issue. Similarly, Wembanyama's attorneys have not responded to requests for comment.
Glodich's actions have led the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to reject his applications for "EL WEMBY" and "WEMBY'S WORLD," citing concerns about misleading connections to Wembanyama. Despite this, he registered the domain 'www.wembysworld.com' to sell unauthorized merchandise, including clothing, coffee mugs, and baby bibs featuring Wembanyama's likeness. The lawsuit has called for a jury trial, as per a report from FOX San Antonio.
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