A US artist who was granted a trademark for the mathematical symbol ‘pi’ has secured the rights to another symbol, this time a popular sign used in text messages.
New York-based Paul Ingrisano has successfully trademarked ‘I<3’, text shorthand for “I love”.
The entrepreneur, who owns a clothing line, Pi Productions Corp, sells T-shirts and hats that feature his designs.
The Pi trademark, US number 4,473,631, is a play on the artist’s initials and was issued to Ingrisano in January this year.
The image features the symbol ‘π’ followed by a full stop.
In June, WIPR reported that Ingrisano had attempted to assert his rights by demanding that online clothing company Zazzle, which allows people to create their own designs for clothing, remove items featuring the design.
Zazzle initially complied with the order but later reinstated designs featuring the logo.
Ingrisano told the New York Daily News, that he would be keen on a partnership with the American Heart Foundation to use the ‘I<3’ symbol and donate a portion of the sales to fight heart disease.
"I think I<3 could be bigger than pi, in my personal opinion," said the 26-year-old.