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ARTICLE · 21 OCTOBER 2026

Mickey Mantle Trading Card Trademark Infringement Lawsuit Implicates NIL-Related Licensing Issues

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A trademark infringement lawsuit over a Mickey Mantle trading card reveals the complex legal landscape surrounding name, image, and likeness rights in sports collectibles.

United StatesIntellectual Property
Nicolena Beck
Nicolena Beck
John Mucciolo
John Mucciolo
Alex Wolf
Alex Wolf
Patrick F. Linehan
Patrick F. Linehan
Ross Weingarten
Ross Weingarten

A recent dispute involving a Mickey Mantle trading card highlights the increasing legal risks surrounding the use of name, image, and likeness rights. On September 24, the owner and licensor of the intellectual property rights for the late baseball star Mickey Mantle filed a trademark infringement lawsuit against the collectibles company Cardsmiths, alleging that the card company made and sold unauthorized trading cards featuring Mantle. The owner of the licensing rights claims that a card based on Mantle's famous 1952 Topps "Rookie" trading card was produced and sold without authorization.1 This case is the latest litigation involving trading cards allegedly using athletes' names, images, and likenesses without authorization, raising licensing, trademark, rights-of-publicity, and unfair competition claims.2

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