Sports
Strict legal proceedings are ongoing against a group of Turkish companies that exploited the name of Egyptian star Mohamed Salah, a player for Trabzonspor, to achieve unauthorized commercial gains. The value of claims and judicial measures imposed on these companies has exceeded 50 million Turkish Lira. The crisis began after Trabzonspor club received a legal warning from a British law firm representing Mohamed Salah, pointing to the use of the player's name in various commercial activities without obtaining the necessary official approvals. It is noted that the Turkish club had previously issued warnings to companies and institutions, emphasizing the necessity of obtaining legal permission before using Salah's name or image in advertisements, promotional materials, and commercial activities. The club stressed that the player's presence within the team does not automatically grant commercial entities the right to do so. These legal actions encompassed approximately 21 companies located in Trabzon and other Turkish provinces, after it was found that they had used Salah's name in their promotional campaigns. In this context, several lawyers have contacted the owners of these companies to inform them of the initiation of judicial procedures. Some store and company owners expressed significant shock at the exorbitant amounts of the claims, asserting that they did not intend to offend Mohamed Salah or Trabzonspor club. They also indicated that they did not anticipate that using the player's name in their commercial campaigns would lead to legal consequences of this magnitude, especially since some of their companies had previously provided support or sponsorship to the Turkish club. Some of those involved acknowledged not foreseeing the grave legal repercussions of using the football star's name, considering that the current financial claims put them in a major economic predicament.
