Church seeks Rose's help in Adidas dispute

A Lake County pastor is imploring Bulls star Derrick Rose to help end Adidas? legal attack on his congregation over a trademark dispute involving the company?s popular adiZero line.

The trouble started last year after the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office denied the German sports apparel manufacturer?s trademark request for AdiZero --? the sub-brand which includes the highly publicized Rose 2 series of shoes ? because Zion-based Christian Faith Fellowship Church had already claimed it.

The church trademarked the phrase ?Add A Zero? in 2006 as part of a campaign to boost the congregation?s donations to church. If members gave $100 annually, Pastor E. James Logan was encouraging them to ?add a zero? to that amount and make it $1,000. The church uses its offerings to, among other things, run a food pantry and day-care center, according to its website.

After losing an appeal in November 2010, Adidas asked the Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the church?s trademark because it didn?t use the name enough. The request is currently pending.

Christian Faith Fellowship offers ?Add A Zero? T-shirts and hats in its gift shop, but it does not sell a large volume, said attorney Richard W. Young, who is representing the church in the trademark dispute. In some years, they may only sell two or three items with the slogan, he said.

Adidas ? which won a $300 million jury verdict against Payless Shoesource Inc. for trademark infringement in 2008 ? offered the church $5,000 to give up its trademark, Young said. The church rejected the offer.

In a letter to Rose dated Dec. 2, Pastor Logan urged the Bulls star to ask Adidas to abandon its efforts.

The adiZero line has released three pairs of shoes in Rose?s line since November. All three pay tribute to his South Side roots and Chicago upbringing.

?We are not an affluent congregation, but a working class church? in a working class community; and given the state of the economy we are working hard to keep our doors open,? Logan wrote to Rose, who just signed a 5-year, $94.8-million extension with the Bulls.

Adidas released a statement this afternoon saying the company does not comment on legal matters.

"At the same time, we're certainly open to working with church officials to find a way to resolve these issues," the statement read.

Rose's agent could not be reached for comment.

Source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-church-asks-derrick-rose-to-intercede-in-trademark-dispute-20111222,0,6096595.story?track=rss

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