Luke Littler has applied to trademark his face to fight AI fakes.
The darts No. 1 has filed an application with the Intellectual Property Office to prevent AI-powered products from using his photos without his permission and violating copyright law.
The teenager, who won back-to-back world championships, is highly marketable, with his face appearing on branded products ranging from homemade dartboards to computer games and bags of nuts.
Littler has already trademarked the nickname “The Nuke” in the United States.
Ian Connor, intellectual property partner at Michelmore, said: “The application to trademark Luke Littler’s face is likely to expose weaknesses in our intellectual property laws that protect against deepfakes.”
“Previous attempts to establish ‘personality’ rights through trademarks have shown how difficult it can be. While F1 racer Damon Hill’s trademark for the ‘eye’ seen through a racing driver’s helmet was successful, the estate of the late Princess Diana failed in its attempt to protect an image of her face as a trademark.”
“Even if Luke Littler’s application were successful, it would not be a silver bullet to stop deepfakes, given that trademark protection is limited to specific classes of goods and services.
“The Government recognized a gap in the law in its recent report on Copyright and AI by proposing whether new moral rights are appropriate to protect individuals from unscrupulous use by AI to create digital replicas.”
Littler received a historic salary earlier this year when he agreed a record £20m deal with darts supplier Target Darts.
The deal is thought to be worth £20m over 10 years, with potential earnings and bonuses, as well as a share in product and equipment sales, making it the most lucrative deal the sport has ever seen.
Littler wins in Dublin after thrilling comeback
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Luke Littler waves to the crowd as the whistle blows during his post-match interview with Wayne Mardle and Emma Payton following his come-from-behind victory over Gerwyn Price in Dublin.
The 19-year-old star continued his rise to second place in the table after winning the seventh round of the Premier League in Dublin on Thursday.
Littler admitted he was “still learning not to react to the fans” after silencing the booboys with a stunning comeback in the final.
The biggest heckles of the night were directed at Northern Ireland’s Josh Lock, who was booed every time he pitched as his dismal run in the Premier League continued, but Littler also drew the ire of the crowd.
But Littler, who faced jeers after his win over Rob Cross at the PDC World Championship in December, had the last laugh in the final when he came from 5-0 down to beat Wales’ Gerwyn Price 6-5.
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Highlights of the Littler vs. Gerwyn Price final
After avoiding a whitewash, Littler celebrated sarcastically and then waved goodbye as he led 5-1, only for Price to miss three match darts before the teenager staged a remarkable comeback.
“I definitely learned a lot, especially when it comes to the fans,” the 19-year-old said at a press conference.
“In my first fight against (Stephen) Bunting, I didn’t give anything to the fans, I didn’t react, I got the job done.
“It was the same in the final when we lost 5-0. Everyone doubted me. I definitely doubted myself. But we laughed a little and joked a little. We knew we lost, so we just had a little fun.”
“I’m still learning not to react to the fans. I couldn’t do anything at that time. It was just the first leg. After that you can build on it. That’s what it is. People want to see another winner, but I won again.”
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Littler responds to sarcastic cheers from the Dublin crowd after ‘The Nuke’ loses 5-0 to Price
Premier League darts schedule – Berlin next for Littler
Night eight of the BetMGM Premier League will take place in Berlin on Thursday, March 26th, with Littler taking on Bunting at the Mercedes-Benz Arena as he begins his bid for a third win of 2026.
League leaders Creighton face Lock in the opening game of the night, with Humphries and Van Gerwen also up against each other, while Price faces Van Veen for a place in the semi-finals.
14 of the 16 league games in the quarterfinals will be played in tie order, with games on nights 8 and 16 determined by league standings starting each night.
Who will win this year’s Premier League Darts? Catch the action every Thursday on Sky Sports until May. Stream darts and other top sports now.
