Patrick Johnson 
New York based photographer Jacobus Rentmeester is accusing Nike of violating the copyright of a photo he took of Michael Jordan in 1984, one that he claims later served as the basis of Jordan Brand’s now world-famous Jumpman logo. Rentmeester is seeking an unspecified amount in damages, but given that the iconic logo has been embroidered on nearly everything associated with Jordan for the past 30 years, we can only imagine how much he’s asking for. A lawsuit was filed in federal court in Portland, Oregon earlier this year and accuses that Nike has known for decades the true inspiration behind the Jumpman logo.
Source: The Oregonian
Jacobus was initially paid a mere $150 in August of 1984 to use two of his 35mm prints of the rookie Chicago Bulls guard but would later return the images. Then in February of 1985, the now legendary shot of Jordan soaring over the Chicago skyline, arms and legs extended in mid-flight, was created. Nike would later pay Rentmeester $15,000 in March of 1985 for limited use of his image of MJ soaring for only two years.
Jacobus claims that Nike creating the Jumpman image in 1987 goes against their initial agreement. And while the two images look eerily similar, it’s hard to pinpoint how responsible the original photographer was for the pose in his direction to Jordan on the photo shoot. It’s also worth noting that Rentmeester didn’t register his ‘Jordan Photo’ with the United States Copyright Office until December 18th, 2014. From The Oregonian, the lawsuit says:
Over approximately one half hour, Mr. Jordan practiced leaping according to Mr. Rentmeester’s instructions. The pose differed substantially from Mr. Jordan’s natural jumps, during gameplay or otherwise (for instance, Mr. Jordan typically held the basketball with his right hand), and required practice and repeated attempts. Mr. Jordan was enthusiastic and a quick study. Mr. Rentmeester photographed Jordan at the apex of his “grand jeté” leaps, using a Hasselblad camera with 6x6cm film, with powerful strobe lights that required specialty outdoor electricity generators to power. The large strobe lights allowed Mr. Rentmeester to photograph Mr. Jordan with the sun shining directly into the lens, creating a sharp and compelling silhouette of Mr. Jordan against a contrasting clear sky.
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