Baltimore Ravens star Lamar Jackson is going on the offensive in the legal world, and his action is sparking a major backlash among sports fans.
The Ravens quarterback has trademarked phrases related to his jersey No. 8, even taking to court to challenge former NFL quarterback Troy Aikman when he applied for a trademark for the word "EIGHT."
Jackson has a new legal target. Trademark attorney and legal reporter Josh Gerben reported that Jackson has filed a legal notice with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office opposing NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s trademark application for a stylized version of the number 8.
In his legal filing, Jackson contended that he is "widely associated with the number 8 due to his prominence in the NFL and the branding of his merchandise," Gerben reported. Jackson also claims that Earnhardt Jr.'s registration could "falsely imply a connection between the two athletes and infringe on his established rights."
The filing sparked a strong backlash, with many NASCAR and NFL fans speaking out against Jackson.
"Lamar Jackson is an absolute moron for this," one fan shared in a post on X. "Dale drove the #8 car for years starting in 1999 when Lamar was in diapers. There's no brand confusion here. It's like if Tom Brady with the TB12 brand sued Joe Namath because Namath wore the #12 jersey"
"No one hears No. 8 and thinks Lamar Jackson before Dale Jr." another wrote on X. "Hell Ovechkin has more of a right to it what the hell is Lamar doing"
"Lamar Jackson suing Troy Aikman and Dale Jr over the #8 is absolutely insane," wrote another fan.
Gerben predicted that Jackson's legal filing will ultimately be rejected, with the office expected to find that no one athlete can gain sole control of the commonly used number.
