Gene Simmons claims he used iconic devil's horn gesture first; files for trademark

Some things are inexplicably intrinsic to music lovers. Like headbanging to a Black Sabbath song. For rock and roll enthusiasts, making the devil’s horn sign with their hands during a gig remains a fundamental part of the experience. However, rocker Gene Simmons thinks otherwise. The bass guitarist and co-lead singer of American rock band Kiss, has filed an application for a trademark on the iconic hand gesture. Let that sink in. [caption id=“attachment_3671059” align=“alignnone” width=“825”]  Kiss the band. Image from Getty Images.[/caption] The singer claims that he used the hand gesture first in November 1974 while on the Hotter Than Hell tour with his band-mates and is awaiting a response from the US Patent and Trademark Office. What Simmons may have missed is that the hand gesture is also a symbol for ‘I love You’ in the American Sign Language. Therefore, apart from the musical aspect, the thought of trademarking something that has been used by people as an expression of love for years, seems irrational. Considering the chronological order of the usage of this symbol, the symbol is believed to have been originally used by Buddhist ascetic Gautam Buddha in 5th Century BC. The sign was used to expel demons and purify spaces before it became a representational character of Rock and Roll in pop culture. Even in the music industry, The Beatles did it before Simmons. According to  CNN, John Lennon used the devil’s horn symbol on their Yellow Submarine album cover. Therefore, Simmons’ claims of being the first one to use the symbol lacks accuracy. Although, Simmons is seen as the embodiment of rock music by some, trademarking the devil’s horn symbol seems a bit far-fetched.