Agassi seeks injunction against Target stores

updated 7:46 a.m. ET Oct. 24, 2007

LAS VEGAS - Lawyers for retired tennis star Andre Agassi sought a preliminary injunction from a federal judge Tuesday, alleging that Target Corp. stores continued selling sandals bearing his name without his permission.

Agassi Enterprises Inc. first sent a letter to the discount retailer in late July, demanding it stop the practice, according to a lawsuit filed Sept. 14 in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.

Target responded by saying it stopped selling the sandals, priced at $12.99, on the Internet, would change the product name to "Ainsley" in August and had taken reasonable measures to remove the footwear from its stores.

Agassi's company said in its injunction request that buyers were able to purchase the merchandise in August and September, and the footwear was displayed at a Target store as recently as Oct. 6.

A message left with Target corporate offices in Minneapolis was not immediately returned. When the lawsuit was filed in September, a Target spokeswoman said the retailer had been trying to relabel all the sandals, but some may have been missed in a few of its 1,500 stores.

Agassi Enterprises spokesman Rob Powers declined comment, saying the legal case was pending.

Agassi retired from tennis last year, having won eight Grand Slam titles. He lives in Las Vegas.

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