EVwire brief: Tesla has filed trademark applications for "Tesla Robotaxi" in South Korea. The filings don’t just cover vehicles but passenger transport and vehicle-sharing services.
South Korean outlet Ilyo Shinmun reported that Tesla filed the word mark "TESLA ROBOTAXI" and a "ROBOTAXI" logo mark with the Korean Intellectual Property Office on October 15. The word mark covers Class 12, which includes automobiles and electric vehicles. The filing also mentions Class 39, which includes passenger transport and vehicle sharing.
Tesla's Robotaxi app is already registered on both Korea's Apple App Store and Google Play Store, though it isn't operational yet. Tesla has not announced plans or a timeline for Robotaxi services in South Korea as of this writing. Tesla headquarters, Tesla Asia-Pacific and Tesla Korea have not responded to requests for comment about the matter.
Tesla community account TeslaZoa flagged the report on X:
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Baek Ho-yong, a partner patent attorney at Lee & Mok Patent Law Firm, told Ilyo Shinmun that the filings look like Tesla securing its position ahead of any future launch:
“Tesla's trademark applications in Korea appear to have a defensive purpose: securing rights with an eye on introducing services in the Korean market in the future, as well as preventing trademark preemption or imitation by third parties.
“Since trademark registration can be cancelled due to non-use if not used domestically for more than three years after registration, this is analyzed as an indication of a long-term intention to enter the business.”
Korea is the latest market where Tesla is locking down its Robotaxi branding. The company completed registration for its Tesla Robotaxi word and logo marks in the European Union in February. US filings are still pending, with some stalled over the argument that "robotaxi" is a generic term.
On the software side, Tesla Korea asked the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to approve FSD Supervised on October 22. The feature is currently limited in Korea to US-built Teslas under the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement. Although local car-sharing company Socar has already drawn strong interest in an FSD Supervised subscription.
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Context:
In South Korea, Tesla would also be entering a market where several robotaxi players are already setting up shop. Waymo established a Korean subsidiary in July, and Baidu set up Baidu Apollo Korea in April. Meanwhile Pony AI plans to run 200 robotaxis in Seoul by 2028 with local partner Futurelink.
The Korean government said on October 23 that paid robotaxi operations will begin in 2028, starting in Gwangju. This means that if Tesla does move ahead, it would be building on one of its strongest consumer markets, where the Model Y has been topping the sales charts this year.
Source: Ilyo Shinmun and TeslaZoa on X
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