Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson’s trademark dispute with Dale Earnhardt Jr. did not last very long.
Jackson filed a notice of opposition with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office against Earnhardt on Wednesday, arguing that the NASCAR legend’s attempt to trademark a stylized No. 8 would infringe on his trademark rights. The two-time MVP quarterback has trademarks such as “Era 8 by Lamar Jackson” that cover items such as clothing and sports bags, and he argued that Earnhardt’s mark on similar products would cause confusion among consumers.
Two days later, the two have apparently come to a resolution. Earnhardt announced on social media Friday that he has secured the right to use a stylized version of the number 8 and that he will abandon the version of the mark that JR Motorsports has used since 2019.
“We are looking forward to the remainder of an already successful season,” Earnhardt wrote.
Jackson, 28, has worn No. 8 since he burst onto the scene at Louisville, and now into NFL stardom.
It could’ve taken more than a year for a trial with the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board, the USPTO’s administrative court, to begin. If the USPTO had ruled against Earnhardt, Jackson could’ve sued him for using the mark for merchandising.
Jackson was previously involved in a similar dispute with Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman, again attempting to prevent him from using “EIGHT” on various products.
When initially reporting the news of Jackson’s filing against Earnhardt, trademark attorney Josh Gerben said it would be “highly likely” that all three athletes would get their registrations and have “slightly different branding approaches.” It seems that is indeed the case based on this ruling.