"UniBev, based in Ajaccio, France, beat Tesla to filing for the trademark for Cybercab. Last week, Musk's company struck back, filing a 167-page complaint with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office that called UniBev 'a bad faith trademark squatter, who started as a Tesla fan.' UniBev has until April 19 to respond to the complaint."
"Ironically, Tesla shoulders much of the blame for the dispute. It publicly announced the Cybercab name on April 23, 2024, during an earnings call. At the time, though, no one at the company had filed for a trademark. That gave UniBev co-owner, and Tesla shareholder, Jean-Louis Lentali an opening to file a trademark application in France on April 29."
"Should the issue go to trial, a decision could be delayed until 2027. That would put Tesla in a bind, since it expects to begin production on the vehicles in April, with sales planned to launch before the end of the year. Tesla has also submitted trademark filings for 'Cybercar' and 'Cybervehicle,' which could allow it to bypass regulatory requirements."
Tesla announced its autonomous robotaxi service would be called Cybercab during an April 2024 earnings call but failed to file for the trademark immediately. French beverage wholesaler UniBev, owned by Jean-Louis Lentali, a Tesla shareholder and fan, filed for the Cybercab trademark in France on April 29, 2024, gaining priority under international trademark law. Tesla filed its complaint with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in October, accusing UniBev of bad faith trademark squatting. UniBev currently holds rights to the Cybercab trademark in the United States and internationally. Tesla plans to begin production in April with sales before year-end, but a potential trial could delay resolution until 2027. Tesla has also filed for alternative names like Cybercar and Cybervehicle.
Read at Fast Company
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