The Turkish Trabzonspor Club announced the initiation of firm legal measures against parties that used the name and image of its Egyptian star, Mohamed Salah, in advertisements and commercial products without obtaining prior permission.
The club explained that it had observed, since Salah joined its ranks, that many companies and entities had used the player’s name, image, and team shirt in promotional campaigns, with the aim of exploiting his overwhelming popularity and high marketing value.
Trabzonspor stressed that Salah wearing the team’s shirt does not give any external party the right to exploit his identity commercially, or suggest the existence of a partnership or official support from him for specific products or services.
The club stated that these practices represent a clear violation of the player’s rights associated with his name and image, in addition to harming the club’s rights to its trademark, reputation, and economic value.
At the end of its statement, the Turkish club revealed that it had documented all cases of unauthorized use in preparation for the judicial and criminal prosecution of violators, stressing that public support for the team or player does not constitute a legal justification for commercially exploiting protected rights.
