Simmons wants rights to the symbol
Kiss bassist and frontman Gene Simmons initiated legal proceedings last Friday seeking trademark rights to the maloik, or "devil horns" hand gesture, a symbol of heavy metal.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, which broke the story, Simmons claims to have first used the symbol in November 1974 and seeks the rights to the maloik for “live performances by musical or entertainment artists .” In the document (which can be read here ), the symbol is described as “a hand gesture with the index and little fingers raised and the thumb perpendicular .
The department responsible for patents and trademarks must analyze Simmons' request to determine if the application has a legal basis, if the symbol cannot be considered generic, and how difficult it will be to enforce the right to the gesture.