--- title: "Elon Musk Fan Files Trademark for Tesla Boats and Planes Without Telling Tesla" description: "An Elon superfan was moved by Musk's claims that the Cybertruck could be a boat, so he decided to file a trademark for boats and planes on Tesla's behalf." date: "2023-01-05" modified: "2023-01-05" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/trademark-boats-planes-without-telling-tesla" categories: - "Advanced Transport" - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "Tesla" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "cybertruck" - "elon musk" - "tesla" - "the digest" --- # Elon Musk Fan Files Trademark for Tesla Boats and Planes Without Telling Tesla ![An Elon superfan was moved by Musk's claims that the Cybertruck could be a boat, so he decided to file a trademark for boats and planes on Tesla's behalf.]() *\Image: Tech Division via YouTube\* ## One Step Ahead It's no secret that Tesla CEO Elon Musk has some over-eager fans — but this one acolyte really jumped the gun. In the wake of Musk promising the company's much-hyped [Cybertruck can double as a boat](), Tesla enthusiast Jerome Eady thought he could save his favorite billionaire some legwork. The Elon superfan filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office on the automaker's behalf to extend the Tesla trademark to electric "not for land vehicles," namely boats and airplanes, [*Bloomberg* reports]() **—** a baffling decision, considering he isn't affiliated with Tesla in any way. ## Out of the Loop [Several]() [outlets]() were swept up in a flurry of hype and confusion earlier this week at the prospect of the Musk-led company eventually pivoting to boats and planes. After all, the application does explicitly note an "intent to use" the Tesla trademark on those vehicles. And the connection between Eady's filing and Musk's Cybertruck claims isn't just speculation on our part. Eady told *Bloomberg* that he wanted to help Tesla by filing for the trademark proactively, because Musk had already promised the Cybertruck could be used as a boat. As of now, Tesla has not responded to *Bloomberg's* requests for comment, so we can only assume that it had no idea about the application. Nor has the patent office responded, so who knows what will happen to Eady or his filing. ## Claim Consequences The idea of a seaworthy Cybertruck has been around for a couple of years now. Back in 2020, roughly five months after the Cybertruck was [unveiled](), Musk [tweeted]() that the low-poly set of wheels "will even float for a while." Musk then doubled down on those claims in September, stating that "Cybertruck will be waterproof enough to serve briefly as a boat," he [wrote](), "so it can cross rivers, lakes and even seas that aren't too choppy." Just a week later, he even [brainstormed]() mounting a propeller on the tow hitch of a Cybertruck to make it move through water faster. To be clear, these seem like superfluous claims to make for a vehicle that's already [having a hard time]() hitting the streets, let alone seas. But if there's any lesson to be learned here, it's that Musk should probably be more careful about what he tells his fawning and often gullible fans. **More on Tesla:** *[Man Allegedly Drives Tesla Off 250 Foot Cliff on Purpose, But Whole Family Survives]()* ## 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]()