Lamar Jackson, Troy Aikman battle over coveted trademark
Two of the league’s greatest quarterbacks, Lamar Jackson and Troy Aikman, are currently battling it out with the USPTO for their No. 8 rights. Both quarterbacks have filed for various trademarks with the U.S. Patents and Trademarks Office on their jersey numbers to use for everything from beer to gear under their respective brands. While Aikman has a beer brand known as “EIGHT,” Jackson sells apparel through his “Era 8” brand.
Lamar Jackson, who chose the No. 8 jersey after wearing the same at Louisville, won a Heisman Trophy and two NFL MVP awards in that jersey. Aikman wore eight while at UCLA then again with the Dallas Cowboys while he was winning Super Bowl trophies. He was a three-time Super Bowl champion and one-time Super Bowl MVP.
Applications that Jackson has submitted through the USPTO include trademarks for “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. The former Louisville star was the last pick in the first round of the 2018 NFL Draft for the Ravens.
Jackson disputes Aikman’s application for his number
Jackson’s filing challenging Aikman’s trademark application said he “has expended considerable time, effort, and expense in promoting, advertising, and popularizing the number 8 in connection with his personality and fame.” It also argues that the Ravens star 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.”
“Some of the instant reaction is, like, how can you own a number?” Christine Farley, a law professor and intellectual property expert at American University, told ESPN. “The truth is you can own almost anything you think of as a trademark.
“You can own a smell… sound… a single color. You can own a single number.”
The USPTO currently has 9,996 registered or pending trademarks that include the word “eight” and 1,801 live registered or pending trademarks containing the numeral “8,” according to its database.
Jackson’s paperwork disputing Aikman’s application was submitted on July 9. The former Cowboys star must appeal by August 18.
Other famous athletes who have earned their accolades while wearing the No. 8 include Steve Young, Cal Ripken Jr., Yogi Berra, Kobe Bryant and Alex Ovechkin.