Chinese basketball star Yao Ming has sued Wuhan-based Yunhe Sharks Sportswear Co., accusing the firm of using his name and image on products and promotional materials without consent, Changjiang Times reported Thursday.

Yao has demanded the company issue a public apology and compensate him 10 million yuan ($US 1.54 million).

Yunhe Sharks Sportswear used the NBA all-star's signature and the phrase "Yao Ming Era" on their logos and put his images on products and promotional materials, a lawyer representing Yao Ming said.

The lawyer accused the sportswear firm of misleading promotions and unfair competition, falsely presenting itself as the "official sports supplier of the Shanghai Sharks."

Yao played for the Shanghai Sharks from 1997 to 2002, helping team win the Chinese Basketball Association in his final year.

Commercial advertising is now Yao's major source of income.

He was paid 45 million yuan ($US 6.94 million) a year when he served as a brand spokesperson for Reebok.

Wuhan Yunhe Sharks Sportswear, however, has not yet paid the Houston Rockets center a penny.

The sportswear company denied accusations of wrongdoing.

"Only businesspeople can file an unfair competition under Chinese law," a company spokesperson said. "Yao Ming does not have the right to sue us."

據《長江商報》報道，昨日，姚明狀告武漢云鶴大鯊魚體育用品有限公司侵犯其姓名權和肖像權案開庭。

姚明向被告公司提出索賠1000萬元, 并要求被告在多家媒體上公開道歉。

姚明的代理律師稱，武漢云鶴大鯊魚體育用品有限公司，未經授權擅自將"姚明"、"姚明一代"作為商業標識使用，還將原告的肖像用在產品及宣傳中。

被告還在其產品和宣傳中，曾標注"上海東方籃球俱樂部指定運動裝備"等字樣進行虛假宣傳。故已構成不正當競爭。

姚明曾于1997年到2002年效力于該俱樂部。

原告方指出, 商業廣告是姚明的主要收入來源。

在其為銳步品牌代言期間，該公司每年向他支付基本的廣告費約為4500萬元人民幣。

而被告卻從未向原告支付任何費用。

被告公司則對指控予以否認。

被告稱，根據中國相關規定，被侵權的經營者才可提起訴訟，而姚明并非經營者，無權提起訴訟。