After more than a year, two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson has withdrawn his challenge to Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback Troy Aikman's use of the No. 8 in trademarks Aikman and his company filed for in 2024, according to records from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Jackson's attorney, Andrea Evans, filed a motion to withdraw the opposition with prejudice and without consent of Aikman's team earlier this week. The claims of opposition had been agreed to be dismissed by the Patent and Trademark Office's appeal board on Tuesday.
«Lamar is withdrawing this saying it's with prejudice,» said Josh Gerben, a trademark attorney at Gerben Law. «Meaning I can never file this again, and I'm not even having the consent of the defendant.»
This will allow FL101, the company which filed the trademark request and lists Aikman as one of its directors in SEC filings, to use the markings they applied for. Messages left by ESPN with attorneys for Jackson and Aikman seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Gerben said it's unclear if an agreement had been made by Aikman and Jackson's teams, «but we wouldn't really know that, though. We wouldn't have any information here to be able to tell us.»
Jackson had initially challenged Aikman's use of the word «EIGHT» on a variety of items, including apparel, beer, beach towels, bags and energy drinks in July, 2024. Jackson had previously trademarked various usages around the number — including the phrases «Era 8 by Lamar Jackson,» «Era 8,» and «You 8 yet?» He claimed in filings that usage of «EIGHT» would cause confusion to the public when they went to buy products.
Multiple athletes have worn No. 8 throughout their careers, including Jackson, Aikman, Hall of Fame football player Steve
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