Tim Tebow Vs. 'My Jesus' T-Shirt: Jets QB Sends Cease And Desist Letter To CubbyTees.com

NEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers representing Tim Tebow have sent a cease and desist letter to a T-shirt manufacturer they say is illegally using the name of the New York Jets quarterback to sell products.

CubbyTees.com created a green shirt that says "My Jesus" in a design that resembles the Jets' logo. Tebow's attorneys threatened to pursue legal action against the company for "using the name of Mr. Tebow" on its site "to promote, advertise and sell numerous T-shirts."

The cease and desist letter was first reported by TMZ.com.

In an email to The Associated Press, Kevin Doolan of CubbyTees.com said his company was surprised by the legal threats, and it informed Tebow's attorneys that it would not comply with their demands. Doolan also said they gave Tebow's lawyers the chance to retract their allegations against the company, but they did not.

In a statement issued Wednesday, CubbyTees.com said the design is "positive and innocuous" and the graphic "legally sound" since it doesn't mention or depict Tebow.

A message was left Friday seeking comment from Tebow's attorneys.

Doolan also said his company had no reason to believe Tebow was personally involved in the legal threats, had any awareness of the shirt or any objection to the design — although the quarterback was copied in on the cease and desist letter. Doolan added that he and his company are fans of Tebow.

As of Friday night, no legal action had been taken by either side.

"We are artists and have no desire to trespass on anyone's legitimate intellectual property rights, but we also will not roll over and sacrifice ours," CubbyTees.com said in its statement.

It's not the first time Tebow has been the subject of a merchandising spat. Last month, Reebok reached a settlement with Nike in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to remove thousands of jerseys and T-shirts it stamped with the quarterback's name from stores after he was traded from the Denver Broncos to the Jets in March.

Nike Inc. had sued Reebok International Ltd., saying the rival apparel maker was trying to squeeze the most out of the end of its 10-year NFL apparel licensing deal by using Tebow's name on products — even though Nike was about to begin a five-year NFL contract of its own.

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Comments

[Luv2Purple]

05:08 PM on 05/23/2012

Why? Is Tebow the only one who can exploit Jesus?

[nygcruz80]

02:19 PM on 05/23/2012

You are alright by me TT.....your not Eli, but your a good dude....

[chaz]

06:44 PM on 05/22/2012

Only certain people are allowed to make $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ off of Jesus.

[nicktoday]

03:55 PM on 05/22/2012

Tim Tebow's new shirtless pic is already a controversy! http://www.omdoubleg.com/sports/twitter-photo-of-tim-tebow-backstage-shirtless/

[LIBERALandProudOfIt]

02:46 PM on 05/22/2012

He should have prayed for them to stop selling them.

[TDanger19]

01:04 PM on 05/22/2012

So.... Is anyone gonna comment on the fact that the shirt says "My Jesus" and Tim Tebow's suing because they are using his name?

[onionboy]

01:37 PM on 05/22/2012

I went on the website to see if it maybe had his name on the back (jersey-style) and it doesn't. I don't get it.

[Shikamaru]

12:51 PM on 05/24/2012

Jesus thinks he's tim tebow??/ the nerve of that guy!

[Decipherer]

10:40 AM on 05/22/2012

Li'l Timmy better dial it back from "11" in the Big Apple pretty soon or at the very first opportunity after he's screwed something up, he will be the object of merciless abuse from Jets and other fans.

[duckzilla]

04:07 PM on 05/21/2012

So.... this awrticle is regarding a specific t-shirt, yet there is not a single pic of the shirt and the video also does not show it? What kinda sorry journalism is this?

[swimbiker]

09:58 AM on 05/22/2012

Many other sites do not show it either, such as The Washington Post, ESPN, or even NFL.com. So, maybe they are afraid to be included in the lawsuit.  Anyway, here it is:

http://kdvr.com/2012/05/20/tmz-tebow-sues-website-over-my-jesus-t-shirts/

[Decipherer]

10:42 AM on 05/22/2012

If it is news, why or how would these "news" outlets be sued? On what grounds, that Li'l Timmy is not happy?

[Killermolls44]

05:29 PM on 05/22/2012

I saw a picture of it on Yahoo.
It's just a shirt with the Jets green background local and it says "My Jesus" its nothing special. Pretty bland actually. I think the Jets franchise has a better chance at winning a lawsuit since the logo is included. But still a total waste of time.

[sjaent2001]

02:49 PM on 05/21/2012

Well there is time to Tea, and there is time to BOW, there is time to tweet, and there is time not so sweet, all is where is the most $$$$WEET$$$$ at the gym, at the beach, at the hotels, and where ever there is wide open, and sure God is everywhere, whether you tea or bow or tweet. This is just the day before this story came "Tim Tebow Vs. 'My Jesus' T-Shirt: Jets QB Sends Cease And Desist Letter To CubbyTees.com """"--------------- there are so many tackles to the perfect 90 yard run for a quarterback with God on his side when Tbows.

[319]

09:02 AM on 05/21/2012

Religious beliefs mingling with the quest for the almighty dollar... I'm sure Jesus would approve.

[ed leveridge]

11:54 PM on 05/20/2012

I think it's odd that Tebow would not pose for a photo with a Sports Illustrated model Kate Upton....he must be gay!

[NextStopWonder]

10:38 AM on 05/21/2012

Wait, really? What was he reasoning? I'm a chick, and I'd pose with Kate Upton.

[sjaent2001]

02:50 PM on 05/21/2012

line up after Tbow LOL

[Stephen Thorpe]

07:31 PM on 05/20/2012

What did the lawyers for Jesus have to say? ;-)

[sjaent2001]

02:52 PM on 05/21/2012

jubo said it joyingly---"('I'm Jesus')"""""" it is a typo or a hyphon or a question or just a suggestion ? LOL

[Stephen Thorpe]

03:32 PM on 05/21/2012

I don't-a understand-a what you mean-a.  So, I say; WHAT? ;-)

[Decipherer]

10:43 AM on 05/22/2012

Sometimes, actually all the time, a "hyphon" is a "hyphen."

[jubo]

06:36 PM on 05/20/2012

What? He didn't raise Heaven over the typo?

('I'm Jesus')

[thefeargame]

03:14 PM on 05/20/2012

You should go to the cubby site and read the statement next to the T-shirt, here is a portion:

"This fun design is not officially endorsed by New York's backup quarterback or the Son of God, but plays off the themes of Tebow's faith and his new team - borrowing from the J-E-T-S to promote J-E-S-U-S, with a fish for a football, and "MY" replacing "NY" with a color scheme that will be familiar to Jets fans. We don't take sides on the field or in the hereafter -- we just try to make fans happy, and this shirt should fit Tebow followers to a tee."

[thefeargame]

03:02 PM on 05/20/2012

So Tebow believes he has “exclusive rights” to the name Jesus…LOL