OpenAI's trademark application for 'GPT' denied again

The US Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) has rejected OpenAI's bid to trademark the term "GPT," short for generative pre-trained transformer.

The decision, made on February 6th, cited the term's generality, stating it could prevent competitors from accurately describing their own products as GPT.

OpenAI argued that "GPT" wasn't purely descriptive, claiming consumers wouldn't "immediately understand" its meaning. However, the PTO disagreed, emphasizing that those familiar with the technology understand "GPT" refers broadly to a type of software, not just OpenAI's offerings.

The term became widespread with OpenAI's ChatGPT and subsequent models such as GPT-3 and GPT-4. Although the term was originally closely associated with OpenAI, other companies have begun to use "GPT" in product names, reflecting its widespread use in the AI industry.

This isn't OpenAI's first setback in securing the trademark for "GPT," with a previous denial in May 2023. Despite the latest rejection, OpenAI can appeal to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board for reconsideration.