Zhu Zhiqiang has taken Nike to court for infringing the copyright of his animation flash character the stickman. No ruling has been announced by the court yet.
A Beijing court confirms it has held a hearing on the case, in which on-line animator Zhu Zhiqiang alleged that the "Stickman" image used in a Nike's global marketing campaign bore too strong a resemblance to "Little Match Man," his well known flash character. CRIENGLISH.com reported Friday. Zhu is seeking two million yuan, or some 240,000 US dollars, in compensation from the company and a subsidiary in Suzhou, of east China's Jiangsu Province. Nike argued that the "Stickman" for its "Creativity in Sports" campaign is an original creation of its advertising agency, Wieden and Kennedy.
crienglish.com
Y'all might remember Zhu's animation for Heineken, you can see most of his animations at xiaoxiaomovie.com. Hat tip to Claymore.