Julian Assange, the embattled WikiLeaks founder fighting extradition to Sweden over allegations of rape and sexual assault, has applied to trademark his name.

The 39-year-old computer hacker – who will shortly be extradited to Sweden to contest the charges unless he opts to appeal – wants to protect his name for use in "public speaking services" and "entertainment services", it has emerged.

Assange becomes the latest high-profile figure seeking to trademark his name. Sarah Palin, who famously likened Assange to an al-Qaida operative, has applied for similar protection for both herself and her daughter, Bristol Palin.

Assange applied for the trademark on 14 February through his London-based law firm Finers Stephens Innocent. If granted, he will own the trademark to his name for the purposes of "news reporter services", "journalism", "publication of texts other than publicity texts" and "education services".

Assange has long vowed to clear his name of the allegations, which he denies. Earlier this month he said that the charges, made in August last year, had applied a "black box" to his life. "On the outside of that black box has been written the word rape. That box has now, thanks to an open court process, been opened. I hope in the next days you will see that the box is in fact empty."

The combative Australian, described by foes as a terrorist and by friends as a freedom fighter, also looks set to feature as the central subject in a movie about the whistleblowers' site he set up in 2006. Studio executives last month secured the screen rights to the biography of Assange by award-winning Australian writer Andrew Fowler, The Most Dangerous Man in the World,.

• This article was amended on 2 March 2011. Owing to an editing error, the original suggested that an appeal by Julian Assange was in progress and that this would be heard on 3 March. This has been deleted as incorrect.

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