Tesla is eyeing up the modular AI data centre hardware market, according to a new trademark application for a product called “Megapod”.
Tesla has filed for the new trademark with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), for a new modular data centre product for AI computing. This will be “comprised of computer servers, computer hardware for artificial intelligence processing, computer networking hardware, electrical power distribution units, and cooling systems, sold as a unit”.
The full filing describes a complete, self-contained computing system for AI workloads – and it lands less than a year after Tesla killed Dojo, its only in-house AI training computer.
The trademark filing is intent-to-use, a designation that allows companies to secure a name before any products or services are brought to market under it.
According to the USPTO, the trademark application has been accepted, but has not yet been assigned to an examiner.
“Tesla are developing modular AI data centre hardware and a trade mark application has been filed for MEGAPOD claiming associated goods. As usual, the brand adopted by Tesla is bombastic and reinforces the overarching Musk/Tesla brand identity, speaking to consumers on many levels,” commented Graeme Murray, Registered and Chartered Trade Mark Attorney at international IP law firm Marks & Clerk. “The proliferation of AI has seen a rise in AI brands that speak to consumers and quickly develop significant reputation in the market. Brands like Grok and ChatGPT epitomise the value of trade marks and trade mark protection in this space. We are not just dealing with origin function protection, but protection of all trade mark functions, such as the advertising function, the guarantee of quality, and the investment function. When brands are so intrinsically linked to our daily lives and brands are battling for space and attention, all of these functions become extremely important and trade mark protection is essential.”
