Story highlights Gene Simmons filed an application with the U.S. Patent and Trademark office to trademark the hand gesture

The Kiss frontman claims he made the symbol commercial in 1974 during his "Hotter Than Hell" tour

(CNN) Rock-and-roll fans for decades have used the sign language gesture for "I love you" to symbol "rock on."

But KISS frontman Gene Simmons claims he used it first.

The rocker has filed an application to trademark the hand gesture, in which the index and pinky fingers are extended, the middle and ring finger are tucked down toward the palm and the thumb is extended. Simmons claims he first used the gesture commercially in November of 1974 during the KISS "Hotter Than Hell" tour.

Simmons may not realize that John Lennon also used the gesture on the cover of the Beatles "Yellow Submarine/Eleanor Rigby record in 1966.

Not to mention, American Sign Language first emerged in 1817.

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