The trend of trademarking celebrations has become a vital component of modern sports marketing, allowing players to protect their marketable aspects from unauthorised commercial use. Law firm Mills & Reeve, who assisted Palmer with a similar application, clarified that such moves are intended to secure the player's financial interests rather than stopping fans or peers from mimicking the gesture.
The firm stated: "It was not about stopping other sports personalities, or children on playgrounds, from performing the same or a similar celebration. It is about putting Cole in a better position to control how his name, nickname, image, and goal celebration - all of which are highly marketable aspects of his personal brand - are commercially exploited by others."