Luke Littler, the teenage darts sensation, has applied to trademark his face with the Intellectual Property Office. The move is designed to combat the use of AI-generated fake products that use his image without permission, which would breach copyright laws.
The 19-year-old, who has won back-to-back World Darts Championship titles, is highly marketable. His face already appears on a range of branded items, from dart boards to video games and bags of nuts. Littler has previously trademarked his nickname 'the Nuke' in the US.
On Thursday, Littler won night seven of the Premier League in Dublin. He admitted he is 'still learning not to react to the fans' after silencing boos with a stunning comeback in the final. He came from 5-0 down to beat Gerwyn Price 6-5, after Price missed three match darts.
Speaking to the press, Littler said: 'I've definitely learnt a lot, especially with the fans. In the first game against [Stephen] Bunting I didn't give anything to the fans, I didn't give any reaction and got the job done. It was the same in the final when I was 5-0 down, everyone doubted me, I definitely doubted myself but I had a little laugh and a joke. I was just having a bit of fun because I knew I was beaten. I'm still learning not to react to the fans.'
