New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin close to trademark on “Linsanity”

Jeremy Lin is close to acquiring a trademark on the term “Linsanity.” (Kent Smith/Getty Images)

New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin on Thursday moved closer to capitalizing on the “Linsanity” he created during the NBA season. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office rejected the rest of the applicants for a trademark on the term “Linsanity,” The Huffington Post‘s Ron Dicker reports.

“We’re delighted,” Lin’s lawyer Pamela Deese told Dicker. “This is the right result.”

Lin’s rise from undrafted benchwarmer sleeping on his brother’s couch to star at Madison Square Garden pushed him onto magazine covers, sent the price of Knicks’ tickets skyrocketing and created a market for all sorts of Lin gear.

In the aftermath, many people applied to trademark “Linsanity,” including Lin. Dicker reports that after a cease-and-desist letter from Lin’s attorney, close to a dozen applicants continued to pursue the trademark. Now, the patent office has informed them that their applications have been dismissed, leaving only Lin.

The trademark will protect use of the term on a variety of items, Dicker reports, including beverage sleeves and underwear.

The ultimate value of the trademark will likely depend on Lin’s success going forward. The point guard suffered a season-ending knee injury and is a restricted free agent this summer. Earlier this week, his agent said not to assume he would re-sign with the Knicks.