WASHINGTON, DC – MAY 26, 2012 – Arent Fox’s Pamela Deese, a partner in the firm’s Intellectual Property and Media & Entertainment practices, was interviewed by Bloomberg commenting on her success in having the US Patent and Trademark Office award firm client Jeremy Lin the rights to the term “Linsanity.” The catchphrase swept the nation by storm after Lin, an undrafted Harvard graduate, previously released by two other NBA teams, was claimed off waivers as a backup player by the New York Knicks in late 2011, and helped lead the Knicks on a run that ultimately led them into the playoffs.

Bloomberg writes:

Linsanity belongs to Jeremy Lin.

The US Patent and Trademark Office has awarded the term to Lin, the  New York Knicks’ point guard who in February moved to take control of the catch phrase that encapsulated his meteoric rise from undrafted player to starter.

“It’s not only Linsanity, but all Lin-related trademarks,” Pamela M. Deese, a partner in the law firm Arent Fox LLP who is working on the player’s behalf, said in a telephone interview. “Having a clean plate with rights in place makes it a lot easier to negotiate licenses and endorsements deals.” …

Lin, the first Chinese- or Taiwanese-American to play in the National Basketball Association, drew widespread attention coming off the bench Feb. 4 to score 25 points in a win over the New Jersey Nets. He then joined the starters and led the Knicks to six consecutive wins, boosting television ratings, ticket prices and  global interest in his game.

To read the entire Bloomberg article, please click here. Pam’s success in this matter has also been covered in Sports Illustrated and the Huffington Post.