Beyond the basketball court, LeBron James is invested in building and protecting his brand. And his side believes the University of Alabama has infringed upon that territory.
ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that “Uninterrupted,” which James and business partner Maverick Carter co-founded, has sent a letter to Alabama expressing concerns over copyright infringement and intellectual property appropriation.
The issue in question is a series called “Shop Talk.” The first video featured former Alabama players Julio Jones, Eddie Jackson and Ryan Anderson, and the premise is a conversation during haircuts.
McMenamin shared a piece of the letter:
“Your continued exploitation of ‘Shop Talk’ infringes ‘Uninterrupted’s’ copyright, trademark rights and other valuable intellectual property rights in ‘The Shop’ and significantly damages ‘Uninterrupted’s’ commercial prospects for ‘The Shop.'”
According to the report, James’ side invited Alabama to a conversation before “rushing into legal proceedings.”
From a non-legal perspective, “Shop Talk” looks similar to “The Shop.” James and Co. previously released two episodes of the show. But we’re certainly in no position to make a definitive conclusion about legal matters. That’s up to the experts.
Hopefully the coming discussion fosters a swift agreement, whatever that may be.