Trabzonspor announced it will pursue legal and criminal proceedings against businesses using Mohamed Salah's name and image without authorization. The club stated that some businesses have been using the player's name and likeness with Trabzonspor jerseys in advertising and campaigns since his transfer.
Such uses are said to violate Salah's personality and image rights, as well as Trabzonspor's brand rights, commercial reputation, and economic value. The club emphasized that fans wearing Salah's jersey does not grant third parties the right to use his image for commercial purposes. "Advertisements and commercial uses that violate the rights of Salah and Trabzonspor are being recorded by our club, and we hereby notify the public that necessary legal and criminal applications will be made regarding the detected violations," the club said.
The statement added, "Football love and fandom do not justify the unauthorized commercial use of legally protected rights." The club noted that unauthorized uses create a false impression of commercial collaboration or approval among consumers and unjustly exploit the Trabzonspor brand's value.
This announcement comes as Trabzonspor sits 7th in the Süper Lig with 10 points from 6 games. Top scorer Mohamed Salah has netted 7 goals in 6 appearances this season, averaging a goal every 77 minutes across his 540 total league minutes. Following their 4-0 win over Galatasaray on 19 September, Trabzonspor is in strong form, having won their last 5 official matches. Their next fixture is away to Samsunspor on 10 October.
The report in full is at Hürriyet Spor
