The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has denied Tesla’s bid to trademark the term “Robotaxi” for its vehicles, according to a TechCrunch report on Wednesday, which cited a regulatory filing.
The agency issued a “nonfinal office action” on Tuesday, giving Tesla three months to respond before the application is abandoned.
A separate trademark application by Tesla for using “Robotaxi” in reference to its planned ride-hailing service remains under examination, the report added.
Tesla has also applied to trademark the term “Cybercab,” but those efforts have stalled due to conflicts with other companies seeking trademarks involving the word “Cyber.”
In April, the company announced it remained on track to launch its autonomous ride-hailing service in Austin, Texas by June. However, Tesla also warned it would revisit its growth forecast within three months due to the uncertainty surrounding global trade dynamics.
The electric vehicle maker noted that shifting trade policies were making it difficult to assess impacts on its automotive and energy supply chains. It also said that changing political sentiment could temporarily affect demand for its products.
