Whenever you think of the term GPT, you usually think of the company OpenAI. The company’s smash-hit chatbot ChatGPT has brought the term GPT into the public mind space. However, this is not a term that the company created. However, OpenAI is now attempting to trademark the term GPT, but the US Patent Trademark Office (PTO) is not letting it.
The term GPT has been tossed around a lot nowadays, and it’s heavily associated with AI technology. This is true, as the term means “Generative Pre-trained Transformer.” It’s all in the name; a generative AI model is a pre-trained piece of technology that generates data. So, any piece of generative AI technology uses a GPT.
OpenAI wants to trademark the term GPT, but it can’t
If you want to get a trademark in the US, you will need to fill out a lengthy application and have the US PTO review it. Getting a trademark is a lengthy and expensive process and, just like any application process, it has the possibility of being rejected. Well, this is the case with OpenAI.
The company wants to trademark the term GPT so that it can claim ownership over it. However, according to the report, the US PTO says that the term GPT is much too broad of a term. This is true, as GPT is a literal branch of technology. Imagine trying to trademark the term OLED.
OpenAI argues that the term GPT isn’t too broad of a term, as it’s not immediately understood by the public. This is true, as not many people outside of the tech space know what GPT means. However, the PTO office argues that it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter if people know about it or not. What matters is that it’s a term that applies to basically the entirety of generative AI.
Google uses GPTs along with Meta, X, Anthropic AI, and the billions of other AI chatbots and image generators that have popped up over the last year and four months. Also, many of the generative AI tools on the market use the term GPT. So, there’s no telling what sort of legal ramifications could occur if OpenAI were able to trademark GPT.
When it comes to trademarking, you’re only able to appeal your claim twice. So, third strike, and you’re out. OpenAI tried to trademark GPT back in May of 2023, and this is now the company’s first appeal. It can only appeal once more before being shut down for good.
2024-02-19 15:04:24