Luke Littler has applied to the Intellectual Property Office to trademark his face, aiming to prevent unauthorised use of his image by AI-generated fake products. The move is designed to protect his likeness from being exploited without permission, which would breach copyright laws.
The 19-year-old world darts champion, who has won back-to-back World Darts Championship titles, is a highly marketable figure. His face already appears on a wide range of branded merchandise, including dart boards, video games, and bags of nuts. Littler has previously trademarked his nickname “the Nuke” in the United States.
Littler’s application comes after he won night seven of the Premier League in Dublin on Thursday. He staged a remarkable comeback from 5-0 down in the final to beat Gerwyn Price 6-5, overcoming hecklers in the process.
Reflecting on the match, Littler admitted he is “still learning not to react to the fans.” He 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.”
He added: “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.”
