Ravens’ Lamar Jackson in Heated Trademark Dispute With Cowboys Legend Troy Aikman
Baltimore Ravens superstar Lamar Jackson is set to face off with Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, just not in a way anyone expected.
According to ESPN and trademark attorney Josh Gerben, Jackson is challenging Aikman’s use of their shared No. 8 in a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office complaint. In a July 9 filing, Jackson’s attorney claims that Aikman’s attempt to use “EIGHT” on apparel is “likely to cause confusion, or cause mistake, or to deceive” customers when buying products from their companies. The appeal states that Jackson “has expended considerable time, effort, and expense in promoting, advertising, and popularizing the number 8 in connection with his personality and fame” and “is well-known by this number due to his notoriety and fame, along with his promotion of this number in his trademarks and in media coverage.”
Through his attorney, Jackson filed two appeals against FL101, a company that listed Aikman as a director in SEC filings. The company owns nine trademarks for the use of “Eight” on various products, including beer and beach towels.
Jackson, 27, has applied for trademarks on multiple uses of the number, including but not limited to “Era 8 by Lamar Jackson” and “You 8 yet?” His attorney says his trademarks were registered before Aikman’s and that products from the latter’s company are “highly similar in sound, appearance, connotation, and commercial impression” to Jackson’s.
Christine Farley, a law professor at American University and intellectual property expert, says that FL101’s attorneys might argue that customers wouldn’t be confused by the presence of a number, according to ESPN. FL101’s response to the federal trademark office is due on Aug. 18.
This isn’t the first time Jackson has found himself in a trademark dispute. In 2020, the two-time MVP sued Amazon for selling unlicensed merchandise using his trademarks, name, and likeness.
