In 2022, Olympic legend Usain Bolt applied to trademark his signature pose. After dominating track and field for over a decade, the fastest man in history sought legal exclusivity of his signature pose. The Jamaican hoped to use the trademark for business purposes. However, Mixed 10m Air Pistol silver medalist Yusuf Dikeç had to follow in Bolt’s footsteps as an emergency measure.

Turkish media outlet Digi 24 reported that Dikeç filed for a trademark with the Intellectual Property Institute. The veteran Olympian, who has been competing in air pistol events for over a decade, became an overnight celebrity at Paris 2024. The shooter stood out as he wore none of the gear that his fellow athletes did and still won silver.

It was this casual yet focused approach that turned Yusuf Dikeç into an instant global sensation. However, now some bad actors have attempted to profit off of the athlete’s fame. “After we were informed about the numerous trademark registration initiatives carried out without the knowledge of Yusuf Dikeç, we filed an application about a week ago,” the shooter’s coach told Digi 24.

While the status of the filing remains unknown, it’s already served its purpose. “Other requests were rejected,” clarified coach Erdinç Bilgili. Even today, the internet can’t get over Dikeç was standing on the line with one hand in his pocket, the shooting arm extended, and both eyes open without wearing a single piece of shooting gear. Even other athletes couldn’t help but replicate the pose.

Sweden’s Armand Duplantis replicated it when he set the World and Olympic pole vault records in Paris. In fact, he used it again on September 4, after winning the 100m dash against Karsten Warholm. However, some fans found the move to be bizarre. “This seems ridiculous to me. He used a common stance that many pistol shooters use,” argued one Reddit user.

“How the hell can he trademark something that predates him by decades and by thousands of shooters?” questioned another Redditor. Yet, the practice isn’t as uncommon as you may think. From athletes to celebrities, and everyone in between, has tried it before.

Yusuf Dikeç is the newest in a long line of athletes

Besides Usain Bolt, several other hotels have applied to get their signature poses and gestures trademarked. Long-distance icon Mo Farah applied to get his famous ‘Mobot’ victory pose trademarked. Meanwhile, soccer star Gareth Bale sought to get his signature heart goal celebration trademarked as well; the Welsh star even included his jersey number (no. 11) as part of the filing.

While we don’t know if the fans were privy to the fact that others wanted to profit off the shooter’s pose, the fans got one thing right. The five-time European champion’s pose was not unique. Many choose to put their hands in their pockets while shooting the pistol. “Some people thought my hand in my pocket was a sign of arrogance. I do it just to keep my body more stable. You don’t have to look any further,” Dikeç himself told Digi 24.

However, what truly made him stand out was the lack of gear. Everyone else competing on the grandest stage wore visors, jackets, shooting shoes, blinders, and glasses. Unlike most cases, Yusuf Dikeç didn’t apply in hopes of expanding his brand, but to stop people from wrongfully using his name and possibly running his reputation.