Jets Logo Controversy Brings Back Ravens Memories

The New York Jets are involved in a lawsuit over their logo, much like the Baltimore Ravens before them.

Dec 12, 2019; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh (left) shakes hands with New York Jets head coach Adam Gase (right) after the game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports / Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports

Over 25 ago, the Baltimore Ravens found themselves in a nasty lawsuit over the use of their logo. Now, another team finds itself in an eerily similar situation.

On Monday, TMZ broke news of a lawsuit against the New York Jets by Jim Pons, a longtime film and video director for the club. Pons claimed that he designed the logo the Jets used as their primary mark from 1978-1997, which they brought back as a throwback last season and changed to full-time this offseason. Pons even appeared in a team promotional video explaining the logo's history back in April.

In the lawsuit, though, Pons claims he owns the logo as he created it outside the scope of his job. The 81-year-old is now suing for unspecified damages, as well as asking a judge to cancel the team's trademark of the logo and rule that the team can't use it on uniforms or merchandise without his consent and compensation.

The Jets swiftly responded to the lawsuit, claiming that they own the logo and Pons has no claim to it.

“We are aware of the complaint,” the Jets said in a statement to The New York Post. “The mark in question has been registered with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for nearly 50 years. The mark has been used continuously in numerous iterations since that time. We find this claim baseless and without merit.”

If that sounds familiar to any longtime Ravens fans, there's a very good reason why.

For their first three seasons from 1996-1998, the Ravens' primary logo depicted a yellow shield with a capital "B" on it, complete with Ravens logos holding the shield. The reason they stopped using that logo is because Frederick E. Bouchat, an amateur artist and security guard who submitted the design to the Maryland Stadium Authority via fax machine, sued the team for copyright infringement. He actually won the case, but was not compensated despite seeking $10 million in damages.

After losing the case, Baltimore introduced the raven head logo that is still in use today. The Ravens have used shield logos similar to the one Bouchat designed, but those have both "B" and "R" on the shield and incorporate elements of the Maryland state flag.

With the Ravens case as precedent, it will be very interesting to see what happens as the Jets navigate a very similar situation.

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