Linsanity belongs to Jeremy Lin.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the term to Lin, the New York Knicks’ point guard who in February moved to take control of the catch phrase that encapsulated his meteoric rise from undrafted player to starter.
Guard Jeremy Lin of the New York Knicks works out prior to his team taking on the Miami Heat in Game One of the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals in the 2012 NBA Playoffs on April 28, 2012 at the American Airines Arena in Miami. Photographer: Marc Serota/Getty Images
“It’s not only Linsanity, but all Lin-related trademarks,” Pamela M. Deese, a partner in the law firm Arent Fox LLP who is working on the player’s behalf, said in a telephone interview. “Having a clean plate with rights in place makes it a lot easier to negotiate licenses and endorsements deals.”
The player’s filing on Feb. 13 came six days after a California man with no ties to the 23-year-old Harvard-educated Lin became the first to apply for a Linsanity trademark. A second filing was made on Feb. 9 and another on Feb. 14.
Lin, the first Chinese- or Taiwanese-American to play in the National Basketball Association, drew widespread attention coming off the bench Feb. 4 to score 25 points in a win over the New Jersey Nets. He then joined the starters and led the Knicks to six consecutive wins, boosting television ratings, ticket prices and global interest in his game.
Lin had surgery last month to repair a meniscus tear in his left knee. He missed the Knicks’ opening-round playoff series with the Miami Heat, which New York lost 4-1.
Source: Bloomberg