Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson dropped his trademark case against Troy Aikman over the No. 8.
Jackson filed a complaint with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in July 2024 that claimed Aikman’s merchandise would be “likely to cause confusion, or cause mistake, or to deceive” customers looking to buy Jackson’s No. 8 apparel. Both men had worn No. 8 for most or all of their college and NFL careers, and have each sold branded merchandise around the number.
Aikman, the former Cowboys quarterback-turned-analyst on ESPN’s Monday Night Football, has a beer company called “Eight” and has sold other No. 8 items like bags and beach chairs through a company called FL101. (Jackson is listed as the plaintiff in the lawsuit, with FL101 as the defendant.) Jackson, the two-time NFL MVP, has sought to trademark phrases like “Era 8,” and “You 8 yet?” Aikman originally responded to Jackson’s legal move last July by posting: “Hey Lamar – looks like a worthy conversation over a couple cold EIGHT beers! Maybe Steve Young can arbitrate??”
On Monday, Jackson’s attorney filed his request to withdraw the case, and it was dismissed by the USPTO’s Trademark Trial and Appeal Board on Tuesday. According to court documents, Tuesday would have been the final day of discovery.
The Baltimore Sun first reported the news.
“The withdrawal of Mr. Jackson’s oppositions was voluntarily done by Mr. Jackson in the wake of some TTAB decisions that have gone against him,” Aikman’s attorney, Brad Rose, said in a statement to Front Office Sports. In my view, these ‘with prejudice withdrawals’ are an acknowledgement that Mr. Jackson’s claims were an overreach and should never have been brought in the first place.”
Jackson’s attorney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Ravens will appear on Aikman’s Monday Night Football once this season on Sept. 22 against the Lions.
Jackson also went after NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. with the USPTO over his use of the No. 8 in April, but that matter quickly resolved as the driver changed to use a different stylized version of the number.
