Tesla's Robotaxi and Cybercab trademarks in doubt

Tesla has filed trademark applications for the terms Robotaxi and Cybercab. Specifically, two separate filings for each, one covering the vehicle itself, the other for the service it wants to offer with these vehicles.

The USPTO has refused one of the Robotaxi trademarks (the one for the car itself) on the grounds that it's "merely descriptive." According to the USPTO's assigned examiner, the term Robotaxi is "used to describe similar goods and services by other companies", while at the same time acknowledging that there are no conflicting trademarks in existence. "Such wording appears to be generic in the context of the applicant's goods and/or services," the examiner also wrote.

The good news for Tesla is that this refusal is not final. The company has three months to file a response and submit evidence and arguments to support its application for the trademark. The USPTO wants it to provide "fact sheets, instruction manuals, brochures, advertisements and pertinent screenshots of applicant's website as it relates to the goods and/or services in the application, including any materials using the terms in the applied-for mark".

Tesla will also need to tell the USPTO whether competitors are using terms like "robo," "robot," or "robotic" to advertise similar goods and/or services.

Tesla's other application for the term covers the use of the word for the purposes of offering transportation services, and on that one the USPTO has yet to make a decision. Additionally, Tesla's applications for the term Cybercab have been halted due to other companies pursuing similar "Cyber" trademarks, including one that has applied for numerous trademarks related to aftermarket accessories for Tesla's Cybertruck.

Via