Brazilian football legend Pele is planinng to sue South Korean electronics firm Samsung, after claiming the firm used a lookalike in an advertisement.
He is claiming at least $30m (£21m), according to papers served at the US District Court in Chicago.
The advertisement for ultra high-definition televisions ran in the New York Times without Pele’s permission.
It is alleged that Samsung placed the advertisement after ending negotiations in 2013 with the Brazilian to use his image to promote its goods.
According to the complaint, the ad includes a photo of a man who “very closely resembles” Pele, and also a small picture of a footballer making a “modified bicycle or scissors-kick, perfected and famously used by Pele”.
The complaint also says that the Samsung advertisement will damage the value of Pele’s endorsement rights and mislead consumers into thinking he supoorts Samsung products.
As well as seeking compensation his legal team say they also want to prevent future unapproved uses of his image.
The lawsuit was filed by Pele IP Ownership LLC, which owns the former player’s trademark and publicity rights.
“The goal is to obtain fair compensation for the authorized use of Pelé’s identity and to prevent future unauthorized uses,” lawyer Frederick Sperling told Reuters.
