Jack Nicklaus was robust to beat on the course. In court docket, although, has confirmed a distinct problem.
A Florida district court docket decide final week dominated that Nicklaus’ former associate, Howard Milstein, would retain the rights to Nicklaus’ identify and likeness, in line with Sports activities Illustrated.
The decide, Robin Rosenberg, dominated that as a consequence of a earlier determination in opposition to Nicklaus, 83, within the New York County Supreme Court docket on the very same property — Nicklaus’ identify and likeness — he lacked any potential to cede management of the property to Nicklaus, the New York Submit stories
Nicklaus vs Milstein was initially delivered to court docket in a Palm Seashore County Circuit Court docket case in April however was moved to the federal degree at Milstein’s request.
“[This] doesn’t change something,” Eugene Stearns, Jack Nicklaus’s lead lawyer mentioned, in line with Sports activities Illustrated.
“We are going to simply be again in Florida State court docket the place it began.”
The 2 events disagree on the query of exclusivity.
Whereas Nicklaus claims he bought a non-exclusive proper to his identify and likeness, Milstein argues it was an unique proper, which he paid $145 million for in 1994.
“We’re happy the court docket dominated in favour of Nicklaus Corporations and dismissed the weather of the case that come up underneath Federal regulation, noting that the New York court docket has already taken jurisdiction over the factual claims on this dispute,” a Nicklaus Corporations spokesman mentioned in an announcement.
“Nicklaus Corporations can be in search of related reduction from the state court docket in Florida.”
Nicklaus is a legendary golfer broadly thought-about to be among the many biggest of all time.
After turning skilled in 1962, he gained 73 PGA Tour wins and 117 whole tournaments. He gained each main event no less than thrice.
Nicklaus gained his final PGA Tour championship in 1986 and formally retired in 2005.
— This story initially appeared on nypost.com and has been republished with permission