Erling Braut Haaland sues Norwegian Air Shuttle over trademark claims

Football star Erling Braut Haaland has filed a lawsuit against Norwegian Air Shuttle, alleging the airline illegally used his likeness in marketing campaigns during the summer World Cup.

According to his lawyer, Thomas Hagen of the law firm Schjødt, the airline published social media content that mimicked the player's characteristics. This includes a post featuring a person in a lotus position—a pose Haaland has registered as a trademark—and an AI-generated image of an aircraft with a hairstyle resembling the player's. Additionally, a video showed a pilot running in a manner associated with the athlete.

Hagen noted that a commercial agreement for such usage would typically cost between seven and ten million NOK, though the specific compensation amount sought in this lawsuit has not been disclosed. Norwegian Air Shuttle denies that the posts constituted a coordinated marketing campaign, claiming they were spontaneous posts that did not significantly increase ticket sales or follower counts.