The New York Jets have gone retro with their primary logo for the upcoming season, and the man who created it believes that entitles him to some compensation.
Jim Pons, who came up with a logo design for the Jets in the 1970s, has filed a lawsuit against the team. According to the lawsuit, which was obtained by TMZ, Pons says he created a logo when he was working for the Jets in 1978 at a time when the team was looking for a redesign. Team officials loved the design and wound up using it for nearly 20 years until 1997.
The Jets began using Pons’ design part-time again in 2022, calling the logo part of their “Legacy Collection.” They were wearing uniforms featuring the retro logo in Week 1 last season when Aaron Rodgers suffered a torn Achilles.
The Jets have acknowledged that Pons created the logo. The team interviewed Pons earlier this offseason for a feature in which the former musician explained what went into designing the “JETS” logo that incorporates a jet wing.
Pons believes he owns the rights to the logo and argues in his lawsuit that he created it outside of the scope of his job with the team. The 81-year-old was working for the Jets as a film and video director at the time. He is suing for unspecified damages and is asking a judge to rule that the Jets can no longer use the emblem for branding and merchandise without his consent and compensation.
The Jets will likely argue that Pons was an employee of the team when he created the logo, therefore they legally own the rights to it.
Many fans had similar reactions when the Jets announced this offseason that they are reverting to a more retro look.
