Photo Credit: Getty Images <\/p>\n
Electric vehicle maker Tesla attempted to name its autonomous vehicle the “Cybercab” but encountered trademark obstacles.<\/p>\n
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office suspended Tesla’s trademark application, preventing the company from owning the Cybercab name.<\/p>\n
As Electrek shared<\/a>, USPTO attorney Meghan Reinhart cited two main issues that blocked Tesla from claiming “Cybercab.” One is a “likelihood of confusion” due to an existing registration of the name, and the other is a previously filed application with an earlier filing date than Tesla submitted.<\/p>\n Although Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced the “Cybercab” name at an Oct. 10, 2024, event, the company didn’t actually file its trademark application for the name until the following month.<\/p>\n During that gap, a French beverage company, Unibev, filed its own application for the “Cybercab” name and was successful.<\/p>\n According to Electrek, Tesla and Unibev are negotiating the trademark matter but have not reached an agreement.<\/p>\n The general public has already associated Tesla’s autonomous vehicles with the name “Cybercab.” If forced to choose a new name, Tesla may need to undertake a substantial rebranding and reorient its customers toward a less familiar concept.<\/p>\n However, Electrek noted that publicly announcing a major product without a trademark application in place is an irresponsible business practice. It may also compel Tesla to spend additional funds to acquire the rights to the name from Unibev.<\/p>\n