Soccer legend Diego Maradona will get 3 million yuan ($4.90 lakh) as compensation from three Chinese companies for using his name in an online game without his consent. A Chinese court awarded the judgement in response to a lawsuit filed by the former Argentina national coach.
The judge at No. 1 Intermediate People’s Court in Beijing accepted 52-year-old Maradona’s claim that Hot-Blooded Soccer had infringed his image rights by featuring a cartoon of the star and his signature without consent.
The game was developed by The9 Ltd and had been available on Sina’s online game platform. Maradona had demanded 20 million yuan in damages from Shanghai The9 Inform-ation Technology Co, The9 Computer Technology Consulting (Shanghai) Co. and Beijing Sina Internet Information Service Company.
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‘Super-strong rope to double tallest building’
London: In a “revolutionary” innovation, engineers have developed a super-strong carbon fibre rope that promises to more than double the height of the world’s tallest skyscrapers by allowing travel heights of one kilometre in elevators. The UltraRope developed by a Finland-based company eliminates the disadvantages of conventional steel rope and opens up a world of possibilities in high-rise building design, the manufacturers claim. Comprised of a carbon fibre core and a unique high-friction coating, it is extremely light, meaning elevator energy consumption in high-rise buildings can be cut significantly.
The drop in rope weight means a dramatic reduction in elevator moving masses — the weight of everything that moves when an elevator travels up or down, including the hoisting ropes, compensating ropes, counterweight, elevator car, and passenger load, KONE corporation said on its website. — PTI