--- title: "OpenAI, Which Has “Open” in Its Name, Is Trying to Trademark “GPT”" description: "OpenAI seems worried about its competitors using \"GPT\" in the name of their chatbots, and has tried to fast-track the trademark process." date: "2023-04-27" modified: "2023-04-27" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/openai-trying-trademark-gpt" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "chatgpt" - "OpenAI" - "the digest" --- # OpenAI, Which Has “Open” in Its Name, Is Trying to Trademark “GPT” ![OpenAI seems worried about its competitors using "GPT" in the name of their chatbots, and has tried to fast-track the trademark process.]() *\Image: Futurism\* ## Future Proofing Facing an influx of ChatGPT imitators, OpenAI is looking to specifically trademark the "GPT" part of its name, [*TechCrunch* reports](). It's an eyebrow-raising decision, given the company's non-profit and open source — [hence "Open"]() — roots. The initialism-turned-suffix, which stands for Generative Pre-trained Transformer, has quickly become synonymous with AI chatbots looking to capitalize on OpenAI's success, like Elon Musk's "[TruthGPT]()." In addition, as *TechCrunch* notes, a number of parties have applied for trademarks with names like "ThreatGPT" and "MedicalGPT" in recent months — so it's fair to say that OpenAI is starting to feel the pressure. The Sam Altman-led company applied for a [trademark]() for "GPT" with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) back in December, and even urged the office in a petition to fast-track its application. To OpenAI's chagrin, the request for a speedier process was dismissed last week because its lawyers screwed up some pretty basic protocols. According to the office, not only did OpenAI forget to pay a fee for the petition, it also outright neglected to provide any "appropriate documentary evidence supporting the justification of special action." ## Making the Case Given the setback, it now means that OpenAI may have to wait up to five months before the USPTO reaches a decision, intellectual property attorney Jefferson Scher told *TechCrunch*. That's practically a lifetime in an industry that continues to blaze ahead, and Scher adds that there's "no guarantee" that OpenAI could end up owning the "GPT" trademark. Still, there are a lot of factors working in OpenAI's favor. There's precedent for abbreviated names like "GPT" being trademarked as a brand name. Scher cites IBM as an example, which was once short for "International Business Machines." In addition, Scher argues that OpenAI's growing fame may play a big role in the decision. If OpenAI can argue that "GPT" is a legally "famous" trademark, the company could move to ban its use in spheres beyond the tech world, too. And Scher isn't going to bet against OpenAI, either. "We've crossed a line where GPT is not three random letters," he said. "If a \[startup\] was asking me if it was safe to adopt it, I would say it's not safe." At the end of the day, it's easy to understand OpenAI's motivations, but this sort of protective behavior is [a far cry from the open source, non-profit company]() that was promised at its inception eight years ago. **More on OpenAI:** *[Just Running ChatGPT Is Costing OpenAI a Staggering Sum Every Single Day]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()