Mohamed Salah legal warning leads to action against 21 Turkish companies

Trabzonspor has taken legal action against 21 companies accused of using Mohamed Salah’s name in advertising campaigns without permission, with the total value of claims and potential penalties reportedly exceeding 50m Turkish lira.

The dispute emerged after the Turkish club issued a warning to businesses and shops against using the Liverpool and Egypt forward’s name in advertising, promotional activity or commercial campaigns outside the club’s own operations without the necessary licences.

The statement initially appeared to be a routine move to protect the club’s rights. However, sources cited by Turkish website 61saat said Trabzonspor’s intervention followed a formal legal warning from a prominent British law firm representing Salah directly.

Salah’s representatives are understood to have instructed Trabzonspor to take all necessary steps to stop the unauthorised commercial use of their client’s name, image and branding. Such rights are protected by strict commercial agreements, and the club was reportedly required to act to avoid possible legal consequences for itself if businesses continued to use them.

Legal action continues

Some companies ignored Trabzonspor’s warning, while others did not appreciate the potential scale of the consequences. Legal proceedings were subsequently launched against 21 businesses operating in Trabzon and other Turkish provinces.

The combined value of the claims and legal penalties is said to be more than 50m Turkish lira. Some businesses quickly removed adverts and promotional campaigns featuring Salah from shop fronts and social media after receiving the warning.

That action did not bring the matter to an end. Proceedings remain in place over previous uses of Salah’s name, and some shop owners were reportedly contacted directly by lawyers and told that legal action against them had begun.

The businesses affected said they had not intended to harm either Trabzonspor or Salah. Several owners claimed they had not expected the use of a name in an advertising campaign to carry such serious consequences, particularly given the difficult economic conditions and the financial burden represented by the sums involved.

The situation is further complicated by the fact that some of the businesses had previously sponsored or supported Trabzonspor at different times. The case therefore places commercial rights protection for a globally recognised footballer alongside the economic difficulties faced by business owners who say they acted in good faith.

The dispute has also served as a warning to companies across Turkey. Using Salah’s name in an advert or promotional offer without the required permission and commercial rights could result in substantial financial claims.

Removing a post from Instagram may not be enough to avoid liability, as previous unauthorised use can still lead to legal proceedings and demands for significant compensation.