England and Manchester united player, Bastian schweinsteiger is to take
legal action against a Chinese toy company. In what may seem a clear
case of image exploitation, the company in question produced and
marketed a German toy soldier named Bastian bearing remarkable
resemblance to the player. According to reports by German daily Bild,
Schweinsteiger is suing the Chinese company over the 'Bastian range' of
dolls, that not only share a name with the 31-year-old but also bear an
uncanny resemblance to him. (left is the doll, and right is the real person)
The company however does not believe it has
infringed the player's rights. The Chinese maker of 'Bastian' described
his similarities to the former Bayern Munich man as "purely
coincidental." It added: "The figure is a member of a Wehrmacht supply
unit, a so-called 'kitchen boy'."
A Dutch company contracted to market
the toy in Europe for £65 per piece has also denied allegations of
infringement saying "We offer no figures based on the football. The
resemblance is purely coincidental. The figure is based on a typical
German. We believe most Germans look like this. Bastian is a common name
in Germany."
A bit too coincidental don't you think?
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