LeBron James doesn’t seem pleased with the Crimson Tide’s new video series set in a barbershop
LeBron James’ multimedia platform sent a letter to the University of Alabama on Monday expressing concerns over similarities between a video by the Crimson Tide football program and a series released by the NBA superstar’s “Uninterrupted” network.
Although the letter contains such words as “copyright,” “trademark rights” and “valuable intellectual property,” it also encourages a conversation with Alabama about the matter before “rushing into legal proceedings.”
ESPN obtained a copy of the letter and was the first to report about it.
James’ series, called “The Shop,” shows the Cleveland Cavaliers star and others conversing about a variety of topics while getting their hair cut in a barbershop. The first installment came out during the 2017 NBA finals. Since then, a second has been released and a third has been filmed.
Last week, Alabama football premiered the first episode of a series it calls “Shop Talk,” which features coach Nick Saban talking with former Crimson Tide star Julio Jones and other players while getting their hair cut in a barbershop. Weekly installments appear to be planned.
The letter reads, in part:
“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.’”
James’ “Uninterrupted” platform was co-founded by business associate Maverick Carter. The two men also developed “The Shop.”
Twitter: @chewkiii
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