Ravens’ Lamar Jackson battles Cowboys’ Troy Aikman on trademark
Share this post:
DALLAS — Baltimore Ravens star quarterback Lamar Jackson is entering a legal dispute with three-time Super Bowl champion and hall of famer Troy Aikman.
Jackson filed a U.S. Patent and Trademark Office complaint against the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback for his trademarks on the No. 8 — the same number both quarterbacks have made famous through their on-field success. Jackson, who already owns and is awaiting trademarks on the No. 8, is looking to prevent Aikman from using a similar trademark.
FL101 Inc. lists Aikman as its director and won nine trademarks two months ago to allow the former Cowboys quarterback to use “EIGHT” on products like bags, apparel and much more. The Cowboys legend also launched his own beer, EIGHT Elite Light Lager, back in 2022. Aikman does not use the digits for No. 8 so it’s not a direct violation of Jackson’s trademarks.
However, Jackson’s team believes Aikman’s trademarks may accidentally confuse customers who are looking to buy a product representing the Ravens quarterback. It’s led to Jackson’s team filing two appeals against FL101.
Jackson has been synonymous with the No. 8. He’s worn it since his college days at Louisville, where he won the 2016 Heisman Trophy and carried it into his professional career where he’s claimed the Most Valuable Player award in 2019 and 2023.
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,” according to the appeals.
Other NFL legends have donned the No. 8 jersey as well, including Aaron Rodgers during his time at the University of California and now with the New York Jets, and San Francisco 49ers hall of famer Steve Young. Outside of football, Los Angeles Lakers basketball legend Kobe Bryant wore the number for much of his career, as did New York Yankees great Yogi Berra and Willie Stargell of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Jackson’s recent trademark applications include the phrases: “Era 8 by Lamar Jackson,” “Era 8,” “You 8 yet?” and others, making them bear a similarity to Aikman’s “EIGHT” trademark, Jackson’s attorney told ESPN.
“(They’re) highly similar in sound, appearance, connotation, and commercial impression,” they said.
FL101 will be forced to respond to Jackson and his attorneys by Aug. 18, according to the federal trademark office.