Teen darts sensation Luke Littler has applied to trademark his own face. This is a groundbreaking step to protect its image from AI-generated fakes and unauthorized commercial use.
The 19-year-old, already a two-time World Darts Championship winner, has filed an application with the UK’s Intellectual Property Office as concerns grow over the rapid rise of deepfakes and AI-generated content exploiting public figures.
Littler’s likeness is already widely used in commercial products, from branded dartboards and video games to food, reflecting his meteoric rise to become one of the most marketable names in British sport. He has already secured trademark protection for his nickname “The Nuke” in the US, underscoring the increasing value of his personal brand.
The latest move signals a growing trend among high-profile athletes and celebrities seeking to protect their identities at a time when AI tools can recreate faces and voices with alarming accuracy.
Graeme Murray, trademark lawyer at Marks & Clerk, said such requests were becoming more common as public figures sought to protect their images. He noted that AI-generated content poses a “real threat” to the commercial value and goodwill of well-known people.
“The goal is to create exclusivity around a recognizable look and feel that consumers associate with a person,” he explained. “This prevents third parties from exploiting this identity without consent, particularly in a commercial environment.”
However, the legal landscape remains uncertain. Unlike other jurisdictions, the UK does not recognize a formal “right of personhood”, meaning individuals have limited protection against the commercial use of their likeness outside existing intellectual property legal frameworks.
Iain Connor, intellectual property partner at Michelmores, warned that trademarking a face was not a comprehensive solution. “Even if trademark protection is successful, it is limited to certain categories of goods and services,” he said. “It’s not a panacea for deepfakes.”
He added that previous attempts to protect identity through trademarks have had mixed results, citing successful and unsuccessful cases involving public figures. The challenge is to demonstrate that a face or likeness functions as a unique commercial identifier.
The move comes as policymakers and legal experts increasingly debate how to regulate AI-generated content. The UK government has already identified potential gaps in the existing copyright and IP frameworks and is currently discussing the introduction of new “personal rights” to better protect individuals from digital copying.
Littler’s application therefore represents not only a commercial strategy, but also a test case for how far current intellectual property law can reach in the age of generative AI.
Away from the courtroom, Littler continues to dominate on the oche. Fresh from a dramatic comeback win over Gerwyn Price in Dublin, he admitted he is still getting used to the pressure of fame and scrutiny from fans.
But as his profile grows, so does the need to protect him – not just from rivals on the darts circuit, but also from the increasingly sophisticated capabilities of artificial intelligence.
