CARL Fogarty is involved in a family battle over the rights to sell his merchandise.

The World Superbike champion is trying to obtain a court order to stop his uncle, Brian, from cashing in on the Fogarty name.

Carl, of Mellor, said: "I'm having to stop my own family making money out of me.

"My dad's brother, Brian, thinks he has worldwide rights to my name, and all sorts.

"We are in the process of getting legal action to stop him doing it."

Fogarty said he gave his uncle permission to produce and sell a number of items of memorabilia, including pottery and plates, several years ago.

In the meantime, a company called Clinton Promotions held the rights to all Fogarty's other merchandise.

Brian Fogarty recently went into business with a company based in Leigh called Foggy Promotions, an offshoot of Motorsport Enterprises.

They set up a website on the internet, claiming it was the official Fogarty site set up with Carl's blessing and selling a wide range of Fogarty products.

But Carl has said the company is claiming to hold the worldwide rights to a wider range of his merchandise.

Fogarty has now agreed to transfer his merchandising rights from Clinton Promotions to Action Performance, which runs Ducati's sales.

And Action Performance is trying to obtain an injunction against Foggy Promotions to stop them producing and selling further goods.

Brian, of Pleasington Street, Blackburn, said today: "I have to protect my side of things."

Warren Cox, sales director of Motorsport Enterprises, added: "We have got a document and we have taken advice on that document from barristers. We have been told that it is a legal document."

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