US basketball star Jeremy Lin has emerged triumphant in his trademark infringement case.
Back in February, the New York Knicks’ point guard – who had a meteoric rise from undrafted player to NBA starter – moved to take control of the term ‘Linsanity’.
The catchphrase has frequently been used in connection with the player by fans and the media, and has appeared on basketball merchandise.
Lin came off the bench to score 25 points in a win over the New Jersey Nets on February 4th.
Starting in the next game, the Taiwanese-American Harvard graduate inspired his team to six successive NBA wins.
His sudden ascent from zero to hero was described as ‘Linsanity’ in the media – sparking global interest in the rookie player.
A California man with no connection to Lin attempted to trademark ‘Linsanity’ on February 7th, while separate applications were made on February 9th and February 14th.
And this persuaded the Knicks’ star to seek control of the ‘brand’ – seen to be wordplay on his surname.
This week, the US Patent and Trademark Office awarded control of the trademark to Lin, bringing the dispute over ownership to an end.
Pamela M. Deese, a partner in the law firm Arent Fox which is representing Lin, said the trademark application was not just about ‘Linsanity’, but all Lin-related trademarks.
“Having a clean plate with rights in place makes it a lot easier to negotiate licenses and endorsements deals,” she told Bloomberg.