Mercedes-Benz enters the Metaverse with five NFT trademark applications
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(Kitco News) – Mercedes-Benz Group AG, the German multinational automotive powerhouse, has become the latest company to take the plunge into the Metaverse by filing a total of five trademark applications for its own line of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).
Licensed trademark attorney Michael Kondoudis disclosed the trademark applications by Mercedes in a tweet posted on Monday, which showed the automaker filed its applications with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on December 14.
According to the information provided by Kondoudis, the trademark registrations are for “Mercedes Benz, Mercedes, S-Class, G-Class and Maybach,” with the company claiming it plans to use the trademarks to develop NFTs, virtual clothing. and goods, virtual vehicle parts, financial services and cryptocurrency trading.
#MercedesBenz have submitted trademark applications for:
▶️ Mercedes Benz
▶️ Mercedes
▶️ S-class
▶️ G class
▶️ Maybachrequire plans for:
✅NFTs
✅Virtual clothes + goods
✅Financial services
✅Cryptocurrency trading
…and much more!#NFT #Metaverse #Crypto #Finance #Web3 pic.twitter.com/UCp8mJ7yxH— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) 19 December 2022
This move from Mercedes is not entirely unexpected as several companies have moved to file trademark applications to secure their intellectual property in the Metaverse.
Earlier, Daimler Southeast Asia, which is part of the Mercedes-Benz Group, announced the development of a data sharing network called Acentrink that is built using blockchain technology and operates on the Polygon network. Acentrink allows companies to buy, sell and trade data in a decentralized setting.
In the past three months, JPMorgan, Visa and Western Union have all filed crypto-related trademark applications signaling their intention to incorporate NFT technology into their business practices.
And it’s not just bankers and money transmitters who have shown interest in staking their claim in the Metaverse, as Hyundai Motor Company became the first automaker to issue community-based NFTs in April this year. Then in May, McLaren Automotive partnered with MSO LAB to develop one-of-a-kind, limited-edition McLaren NFTs.
In September, US automaker Ford Motor Company filed a total of 19 trademark applications across its major car brands, including the Mustang, Bronco, Lincoln, Explorer and F-150 Lightning, among others.
Other notable brands that have filed trademark applications in 2022 include Rolex, Jack Daniels Whiskey, Viacom International, Paramount Pictures and Formula 1 racing.
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