Nike Inc. will pay the London borough of hackney over half a million dollars for the unauthorized use of the boroughs name and crest on a line of World Cup soccer apparel. The logo, a round letter H surrounded by the words “The London Borough of Hackney,” was used in both T-shirts and soccer balls. The borough is known for having one of Europes largest public soccer complexes, The Hackney Marshes, consisting of over 90 playing fields.
Nike settled the matter with the east-end London borough for $560,000. Hackney has plans to spend the cash on sports activities in the area. Nike said they created the line in an effort to “celebrate the amateur football heritage and culture of Hackney Marshes,” and the infringement was “done in good faith and was not a deliberate act.”