Jumpman Logo once landed Michael Jordan and Nike in court amid allegations of copyright infringement after billions earned

Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan is widely considered Nike’s most prominent sponsored athlete in the company history.

Jordan’s “Air Jordan” sneakers played a pivotal role in Nike’s rise to becoming a powerhouse in the basketball shoe industry in the 1980s and 90s. Jordan’s signature “Jumpman” logo is now a universally recognized symbol for basketball fans. However, Nike’s ownership of the logo was once in question, as it landed Jordan and the company in court for copyright infringement allegations.

Before partnering with Nike, Jordan considered signing with other rival shoe companies like Adidas. Jordan also wore Converse sneakers in college at North Carolina. However, it was a photo of Jordan sporting New Balance shoes for a 1984 Life Magazine photo shoot that later got him and Nike in trouble.

The controversial image was originally taken by Jacobus “Co” Rentmeester for a special edition of the magazine ahead of the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. The photo shoot was conducted on a grass hill outside of the University of North Carolina.

During his photo shoot with Rentmeester, Jordan wore all-white New Balance that was believed to be the New Balance 425 or 480 model. In the photo, Jordan did his Jumpman pose while soaring through the air to complete a dunk on a hoop installed on the hill. Rentmeester later took credit for the idea, claiming that he asked Jordan to leap through the air like a ballet dancer with his legs extended.

In 2015, after Nike had earned billions from Jordan’s shoes donning the Jumpman logo, Rentmeester filed a lawsuit. He alleged that the company copied his original image of Jordan and altered it to create its iconic logo.

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What were the details of Jacobus Rentmeester’s lawsuit against Michael Jordan and Nike?

A pair of Chicago Bulls legend Michael Jordan's Nike Air Jordan shoes

In his 2015 lawsuit against Michael Jordan and Nike, Jacobus Rentmeester alleged that Nike’s creative director paid him $150 for limited use of his photo in August 1984.

He said that Nike was allowed to use the images “for slide presentation only, no layouts or any other duplication.” After getting permission to use the images, Nike then altered them by changing Jordan’s New Balance shoes to Nike shoes. The company also changed the background of the photo to the Chicago skyline.

In March 1985, Nike paid Rentmeester $15,000 for permission to use its version of his photo for just two years. However, in his lawsuit, Rentmeester alleged that Nike infringed on their original agreement by continuing to use his copyrighted image.

Unfortunately for Rentmeester, his lawsuit was unsuccessful and was dismissed in June 2015. He later appealed the decision in 2019, but his appeal was rejected by the Supreme Court.