The lawyers for New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow have threatened a website with legal action for selling T-shirts that read “MY Jesus.” The T-shirts available at the CubbyTees.com website are accused of mimicking the logo of the Jets football team and of using the same colors and designs, but replacing “NY” with “MY” and “Jets” with “Jesus” to capitalize on Tebow’s popularity as a Christian. Tebow’s attorneys say that the T-shirts sold by CubbyTees.com violate the privacy rights and publicity rights of Tebow.
The allegations of the attorneys of Tebow seem well-founded as the website mentions their inspiration behind the designing of the shirts: “’Now that the NFL’s most popular player has moved his pulpit from Denver to New York City, he’ll no longer simply be delivering sermons from the mountains – he’ll have the attention of the world’s premiere media market. Jets for Jesus!”
The law firm of Ziffren Brittenham, which represents Tebow wrote a letter to the company saying that Tebow’s name has an ‘economic value’ and the Cubby Tees does not have a right to ‘misappropriate’ that.
The cease and desist letter also mentioned that “’By promoting, advertising and selling the Merchandise, not only has Cubby Tees used Mr Tebow’s name to promote Cubby Tees, but the Merchandise makes it appear as if Mr Tebow actually endorses Cubby Tees and its products.”
Cubby Tee has said that it will continue to sell its T-shirts. The company’s officials told the media that the shirt design “shares nothing with Mr Tebow except for promotion of a common Lord and Savior.”
Tebow, who is a devout Christian, made his stance of kneeling on the field to pray popular as “Tebowing.”