Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson recently filed a notice of criticism with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in an effort to stop a business connected to Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman from trademarking the word” Eight” in its entirety.
While the two-time NFL MVP often connects on his throws, Jackson’s legitimate shove against Aikman faces stiff security.
The issue is essentially one that is frequently used in daily life and sport. Johnson wears the No. 8. Aikman, who won three Super Bowls for the Dallas Cowboys in the 1990s and is now a Monday Night Football presenter, also wore it. But have many other popular QBs, including Steve Young, Aaron Rodgers and Matt Hasselbeck, along with other high-profile sports like Cal Ripken Jr. and the later Kobe Bryant.
According to Securities and Exchange Commission papers, Aikman is a producer at FL101, Inc. The wholesale business was established in 2019 and has lists in California and Texas. FL101 seeks to record eight for several reasons, including sports and athletic luggage as well as t-shirts, container tops, clothing, hooded sweatshirts, bandanas and flip-flops.
Jackson opposes Aikman, noting he now registered” You 8 But”? has the words” Era 8 by Lamar Jackson” for clothes and a style level for restaurant service. Johnson also mentions his pending clothes and bag program,” Era 8.” The 2016 Heisman Trophy success contends that using “eight” or” 8″ will probably cause confusion for customers and that Aikman’s level may indicate a lack of Jackson connections.
It may sound strange that a number may be trademarked. No one, of course, is “own” a range. However, trademark laws permits membership when a number stands out from other products or services.
Nike, for example, has trademarked” 23″ for clothes, t-shirts, sweatshirts, tops and other clothes in acknowledgment of its connection to Michael Jordan. However, a sports organization has trademarked” 23″ for trading tickets, decals, stickers, banners and other sports products. Businesses in various industries have also registered the number” 23,” including businesses that raise money to find a treatment for Parkinson’s disease and businesses that sell cigar boxes and smoke bags.
” A single-digit brand, like a single-letter brand, is not particularly special, and we would expect to see dozens or hundreds of them coexist without confusion”, brand law specialist Alexandra J. Roberts told Sportico. She noted that swift searches for” 8″ and “eight” on the USPTO website “return many effects across all kinds of business.”
Roberts, a professor of law and internet at Northeastern University School of Law and creator of Athlete Trademarks: Names, Nicknames, &, Phrases in the Oxford University Press’s Book of American Sports Law, sees barriers for Jackson’s effort.
She noted Aikman’s level “is not similar or even very similar to any of Jackson’s listed signs”. According to Roberts, resemblance will be analyzed based on meaning, tone, and sight. Even if both athletes use their marks in conjunction with the sale of bags, she anticipates the USPTO to come to the conclusion that” Aikman’s mark is n’t similar enough to any of Jackson’s to cause confusion.”
Roberts is even wary of Jackson’s chances of arguing that Aikman’s mark will imply a connection with him in the first place. She argued that the number “eight” is “purposefully not specific enough for consumers to associate it with a certain individual, even if they play professional football in that outfit.”
Roberts compared the Jackson-Aikman brand debate to Anthony Davis ‘ involving Los Angeles Lakers players. According to Davis,” An software to register FEAR THE BROW for attire was turned down due to a false connection recommendation.” By comparison, simply the number “eight” likely is n’t connected enough to Jackson.
Gerben Internet trademark lawyer Josh Gerben, who posted about the Jackson-Aikman debate on X, expects” the possible outcome is that Jackson and Aikman did find a way to co-exist in the marketplace”. The two parties could come to an agreement regarding licensing that settles the dispute.
Aikman, for his part, seems game for a resolution.
On X last Friday, Aikman half-kiddingly posted,” Hey Lamar – looks like a worthy conversation over a couple cold EIGHT beers! 🍺 � � Maybe Steve Young can arbitrate? “?