Both Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman and Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson rock the No. 8 jersey and did so in college and in the NFL. Now, the two quarterbacks are battling over the use of that number for trademark purposes.
According to ESPN’s Michael Rothstein, Jackson’s legal representation has gone after Aikman’s use of the No. 8, because Jackson has several pending patent applications. Jackson’s legal team is claiming that Aikman’s use of “EIGHT” on bags and apparel and would “likely to cause confusion or cause mistake, or to deceive” potential buyers as to whether the merchandise is coming from Aikman’s company or Jackson’s.
Per the court filing, 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,”
Jackson has applied for patents on multiple uses of that number, including “Era 8 by Lamar Jackson,” “Era 8,” “You 8 yet?” and a logo of a “stylized wild dog” over a shield with “2018 Era 8 by Lamar Jackson 2018” around the dog. Jackson’s attorneys claim that Jackson’s filings predate Aikman’s.
Representatives for FL101, the company that lists Aikman as one of its directors in SEC filings, did not return requests for comment from Rothstein.
It’ll certainly be interesting to see how Aikman discusses Jackson when calling Baltimore Ravens games. Baltimore is on Monday Night Football for a Week 7 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and a Week 12 game against the Los Angeles Chargers.
