MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- Article by Tom Baker -- This would be the perfect April Fool's Joke - but it is real.  

Multiple sources are reporting that Baltimore Ravens NFL Star Quarterback Lamar Jackson is filing a trademark challenge against Dale Earnhardt Jr. over the number 8.  

Junior's company has applied to trademark two different "styles" of the number 8.  The first is the style used on his early Cup series cars when he was racing for DEI. Theresa Earnhardt had that trademark but did not renew it. 

The second "style" or "type" is the one he now uses on his JRM-owned and operated cars.  

For those who wonder how you can trademark a number, the answer is that you cannot.  But you can trademark a certain "look" with that number in it.  Font style, unique marks in and around it, and even color scheme, if you are using it for business purposes.  

Jackson owns a brand called Era 8, and the style of the number 8 in that logo is close to the one Junior is using on his present cars.   Should Jackson win the challenge, he could then sue Junior if Junior uses the number in certain ways, like on merchandise, because his uniform number is very similar in "style" to Junior's current "type", and Jackson's trademark is for merchandise, so this would be trademark infringement by Junior.   

According to Fox Sports and others, it could take up to a year for the US Patent's Office Trial and Trademark Board to review the challenge and determine an outcome. 

Should Jackson be successful here, this could be his biggest win ever.

What are your thoughts about this? Feel free to comment below.  

UPDATE:  Soon after this article was written, JR Motorsports announced that they were going to swap the numbers on their cars from the "straight 8"to the "slanty 8" style that Dale Jr. ran on his early Cup Series cars, effectively ending this challenge from Jackson before the Patent office ever had the chance to review it.