In the modern sports industry, players are not just athletes, they are brands themselves. This is perfectly exemplified by the recent news of two rising stars, Cole Palmer and Barcelona’s young sensation Lamine Yamal, registering their personal celebrations and other likeness through trademark registrations.
Chelsea and England midfielder Cole Palmer has trademarked his popular nickname “Cold Palmer” with the UK Intellectual Property Office. The nickname relates to his signature celebratory move, where he makes a shivering gestures after scoring a goal. Palmer’s successful trademark application, filed through his company Palmer Management Limited, originally covered a wide range of products including soaps, bath salts, snacks, razor blades, phone covers, drones, toys, and more. It faced opposition from French winemaker Chateau Palmer, named after Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Palmer. In response, Palmer amended the application in September to remove references to wine, allowing approval while still covering other alcoholic drinks like spirits, liqueurs, and alcoholic energy drinks.
Similarly, 18-year-old Euro winner Lamine Yamal has registered his iconic celebration symbol “304” with the European Union Intellectual Property Office. The number “304” reportedly represents the last three digits of his neighborhood postal code in Rocafonda, Mataró.
These moves are nothing new in the world of sports. Cristiano Ronaldo famously owns the trademark “CR7,” while Wales legend Gareth Bale trademarked his “Eleven of Hearts” goal celebration in 2013. These registrations give players legal grounds to control and profit from their image and associated branding.
What made this possible is image rights, which refers to the legal ownership of an individual’s image and likeness. This includes their name, appearance, signature, and unique gestures or celebrations. Essentially, it governs how a person’s persona can be used commercially, including endorsements, advertising, and merchandise.
Image Rights in Indonesia
While there are no specific regulations in Indonesia that explicitly govern image rights, the concept is recognized within the country’s trademark and copyright regimes. Indonesian intellectual property law acknowledges the commercial value of an individual’s likeness and affirms that the person holds the right to benefit from it. This is reflected in Article 21 of Law No. 20 of 2016 on Trademarks, which prohibits the registration of a mark identical to the name of a well-known person without their consent—a clear form of image rights protection. For those who wish to register a name or record a photo in Indonesia, they must ensure that the name or image does not belong to a well-known person or public figure. Otherwise, they are required to obtain prior approval. A famous name, such as Palmer’s, carries commercial value, and the individual has the right to control its use.
Similarly, Article 12 of Law No. 28 of 2014 on Copyright states that a person’s portrait cannot be used, reproduced, published, distributed, or communicated for commercial advertising purposes without the written consent of the person photographed or their heirs—another form of recognition of image rights under copyright law. In short, although the term “image rights” is not explicitly mentioned in any Indonesian law, the core concept is embedded in various provisions of intellectual property legislation.
For more questions regarding trademark or other regimes of IP, contact us at ambadar@ambadar.co.id. Our highly qualified experts are more than ready to guide you through any IP related issue that you might have.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/articles/cp8j0852810o
