A Trademark Fight Brews Over the Number 8

Can you trademark a number? Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is now waging two separate legal battles on that front over the No. 8.

• Jackson this week filed a legal claim to try to stop NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. from trademarking a stylized version of the number, reports the Athletic. He argues it's too similar to his own Era 8 brand and would cause confusion for consumers. See an image here.
• Last year, Jackson launched a similar fight to stop former Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman from selling merchandise emblazoned with "EIGHT." That dispute remains ongoing, per WCNC. Jackson filed trademarks for Era 8 in 2020, notes the story.

• Trademark attorney Josh Gerben offers a legal take on his blog: "In my view, none of the athletes are likely to gain exclusive control over the standalone number 8—a commonly used and highly diluted symbol in the world of sports and merchandise," he writes. "Ultimately, Jackson, Aikman, and Earnhardt Jr. will likely all get their registrations and coexist on the trademark register, each with slightly different branding approaches."
• But on Outkick, Zach Dean has a more scathing view of Jackson's moves. In regard to his rivals, "one has won three Daytona 500s. The other has won three Super Bowls," writes Dean. "Lamar Jackson, meanwhile, has been around the league for five minutes and is 3-5 in the postseason."

(More Lamar Jackson stories.)