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Baltimore Ravens superstar quarterback Lamar Jackson and Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman look set to square off in the courtroom over a ridiculous reason.
Jackson currently holds and has additionally filed for several trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office over the use of his iconic No. 8.
But Aikman is reportedly attempting to use “EIGHT” on apparel and bags as well, an issue that Jackson’s representation says needs to be fixed.
Lamar Jackson And Troy Aikman Both Have Legal Rights To No. 8
Jackson’s attorney said in a court filing that Aikman’s use of the number and branding is “likely to cause confusion, or cause mistake, or to deceive” the purchasing public as to whether they’re buying products from Jackson or Aikman’s company.
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,” the appeals state.
You might say to yourself at this point — “you can trademark a number?”
Well, sort of.
Jackson has applied for trademarks on “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.
American university law professor and intellectual property expert Christine Farley told ESPN that you can trademark just about anything.
“Some of the instant reaction is, like, how can you own a number?” Farley said. “The truth is you can own almost anything you think of as a trademark.
“You can own a smell. You can own a sound. You can own a single color. You can own a single number.”
Jackson filed his trademarks prior to Aikman seeking rights to the use of “EIGHT.”
Jackson’s attorney claims products from Aikman’s company are “highly similar in sound, appearance, connotation, and commercial impression” to Jackson’s trademarks.