Lamar Jackson and Troy Aikman are among the top quarterbacks in NFL history to don the No. 8 jersey.
Along with their stellar playing careers, the No. 8 is tied to both of their brands. Jackson, who owns and has applied for multiple trademarks with the number, is entering a legal dispute with Aikman's team over the former Cowboys quarterback's use of the number.
Aikman doesn't actually use the digit "8" but rather spells it out with all capital letters, like so: "EIGHT." It's not a direct infringement of Jackson's trademarks, but Jackson and his team believe it may confuse fans looking to purchase a product.
The Ravens quarterback has filed two appeals against FL101, a company that lists Aikman as a director.
Here's all you need to know about the situation.
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Lamar Jackson-Troy Aikman trademark dispute, explained
Jackson, 27, has built his brand around the No. 8, a jersey number he's worn since his college days at Louisville. He's become synonymous with the number among the current generation of NFL fans.
The Baltimore quarterback already owns a few trademarks and has a few pending trademarks that include No. 8. Jackson and his team want to keep Aikman from using "EIGHT" on products because it likely will "cause confusion, or cause mistake, or to deceive" customers, Jackson's attorney said.
Jackson's team has filed two appeals against FL101, a company which lists Aikman as a director. FL101 owns nine trademarks with the term "EIGHT," but it was reported that the appeals are only targeting the apparel and bags. Other products with "EIGHT" include beer, beach towels and energy drinks.
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Jackson, a two-time NFL MVP, "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.
Jackson's attorney is arguing that the Ravens quarterback filed the trademarks before Aikman and that the former Cowboys quarterback's products are "highly similar in sound, appearance, connotation, and commercial impression" to Jackson's.
Aikman won three Super Bowl titles with the Cowboys in the 1990s and was named Super Bowl MVP for his performance in the first of those in 1993.
Lamar Jackson contract
Jackson signed a five-year, $260 million contract with the Baltimore Ravens prior to the 2023 NFL season. It includes $185 million in guaranteed money.
He's making an average of $52 million per year and added a $72.5 million signing bonus.
