The New York Jets released uniforms in April that are a nod to the team's past, using the airplane design attached to the team name "Jets." The logo was designed by Jim Pons in 1978, when he worked as the team's film and video director, and was used by the Jets for 20 years.
The team acknowledged Pons' contribution when they announced the redesigned logo, getting quotes from the creator. Pons is now suing the team and the NFL, via the lawsuit obtained by TMZ.
He is seeking unspecified damages, the cancelation of the Jets' trademark of the logo and a ruling that the Jets cannot use the logo without his consent and compensation. He claims that he owns the logo and it was created outside his job with the team.
"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."
Pons claims in 1978 they were looking for a new design and he came up with the one they used until 1997, and are currently using as an additional look for the team. He said they are profiting off his work, so he wants some of the cut.
The use of his design was initially received in a positive light by Pons, with him getting a feature on the official team website.
"It was all a huge surprise. It came from out of nowhere," the 81-year-old on the use of his look. "I had no idea they were even thinking about it, nor did I know that it was that popular with the Jets fans. They told me the fans demanded we go back to the old logo, to my logo. So really, that's wonderful. I'm very happy about that, very proud of that."
His feelings have clearly changed since then.
