The Devil Horns Hand Gesture: Gene Simmons' Trademark Attempt and Its Legacy
Gene Simmons, the iconic member of the rock band KISS, made headlines in June 2017 when he attempted to trademark the famous "devil horns" hand gesture. Claiming to have invented the gesture in 1974, Simmons filed a trademark application for the distinctive hand movement featured on the cover of KISS's 1977 album Love Gun.
Despite the widespread popularity of the devil horns hand gesture among KISS fans over the years, proving ownership of such a common hand sign proved to be a challenging task. The gesture, characterized by the index and small fingers extended upward with the thumb perpendicular, bore similarities to other hand signs, such as the American Sign Language sign for "I love you" and the University of Texas's "hook 'em horns" gesture.
Acknowledging the resemblance to other hand gestures, Simmons emphasized in his filing that he intended for performing musicians to seek permission before using the devil horns gesture on stage. However, less than two weeks after submitting the trademark application, Simmons decided to abandon his attempt to trademark the iconic hand gesture, recognizing the difficulty of claiming ownership over a widely recognized symbol.
While Gene Simmons is widely associated with the devil horns hand gesture, he is not the only musician to have used it. The gesture can be traced back to earlier instances, such as John Lennon of The Beatles and the band Coven incorporating similar hand signs in their album covers in the 1960s. Ronnie James Dio, known for his work with Black Sabbath, also occasionally flashed a similar hand gesture during performances.