SHANGHAI - Shanghai's second intermediate court announced Wednesday that it has accepted a lawsuit filed by US basketball legend Michael Jordan against a Chinese sportswear company for the unauthorized use of his name.

Qiaodan, the Fujian-based Chinese company, has been using the brand name "Qiaodan," which is identical to the Chinese translation for "Jordan," since 2000, and has even managed to become an international brand.

"It is deeply disappointing to see a company build a business off my Chinese name without permission, use the number 23 and even attempt to use the names of my children," Jordan said in a statement, adding that the action he took was to protect the rights of his name and his brand.

The court has yet to determine a trial date.