While I wouldn’t even see Gene Simmons in concert for free (I can prove this, actually), I would spend good money to watch him at a buffet. There’s no way he doesn’t stuff his mouth until he pukes and then resume eating again. Right? It’s no secret that he’s a promotional machine, willing to do just about anything for a buck. In fact, he’s a PIG about it. Take this story, for example, Simmons is actually attempting to trademark an iconic rock hand gesture: the devil horns. No, this isn’t a joke, although I am laughing.
The Kiss frontman is awaiting the signal from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office after he filed an application Friday for a trademark on a hand gesture, reports THR.
According to Simmons, this hand gesture was first used in commerce Nov. 14, 1974. That appears to correspond with Kiss’ Hotter Than Hell tour.
Speaking of hell, the hand gesture appears quite similar to what’s known as the “Sign of the horns,” a devil signal that, according to an entertaining entry from Wikipedia, dates back to the 5th Century BC founder of Buddhism. It’s also the American Sign Language gesture for “I love you.”
Simmons is claiming the hand gesture mark for “entertainment, namely, live performances by a musical artist; personal appearances by a musical artist.”
Before the Trademark Office allows this hand gesture to be registered an examiner would consider the likelihood of confusion and, possibly, whether it’s too generic to be associated with Simmons, explain the site.
Nikki Sixx took to Twitter, joking that he was “thinking of trademarking” the middle finger.
But most rock fans associate the devil horn with a similar gesture made by Ronnie James Dio, who popularized it beginning in the late ’70s, explained Ultimate Classic Rock. Simmons’ move drew a swift rebuke from Dio’s widow, Wendy. “To try to make money off of something like this is disgusting,” she told the Wrap. “It belongs to everyone; it doesn’t belong to anyone. … It’s a public domain; it shouldn’t be trademarked.”