Tesla filed a detailed 167-page opposition (No. 91305433) with the US Patent and Trademark Office on February 18, 2026, against French beverage company Unibev's 'Cybercab' trademark application (Serial No. 79/412,082), alleging fraud, bad faith, and no genuine intent to use. The USPTO notified Unibev on February 24, giving it 60 days to respond or face default. This dispute arises as Tesla ramps up production of its $30,000 robotaxi ahead of volume manufacturing in April 2026.
The opposition targets Unibev's international application covering vehicles (Class 12) and related services (Class 39), filed with the USPTO on October 28, 2024, claiming priority from a French filing on April 29, 2024. Tesla argues Unibev principal Jean-Louis Lentali falsely claimed no prior use of terms like 'cyber,' 'cab,' or 'cyber cab' for similar goods, despite Tesla's unveiling of the Cybercab robotaxi at its October 2024 'We, Robot' event, which received widespread coverage.
Tesla's five-count opposition, detailed in filings reported by Electrek and Tesla Oracle, accuses Unibev of fraud; questions its bona fide intent given its beverage focus and Lentali's lack of vehicle experience (noting his social media follows of Elon Musk and Tesla executives); claims likely confusion and dilution with Tesla's 'Cybertruck' marks; and alleges false suggestion of affiliation. A key quote from the filing states: "On information and belief, Applicant filed the above-listed trademark applications solely on a speculative, bad faith basis. There is no evidence indicating that Applicant has ever had a good faith intent to market, promote, offer for sale, or sell any products or services under any of these alleged marks."
This fits a pattern: Unibev holds a 'Teslaquila' mark (prompting Tesla's rebrand to 'Tesla Tequila'), plus filings for 'Cyberquad' and 'Cybertaxi,' which Tesla claims aim to extract licensing fees. Tesla previously secured a 30-day extension to oppose and has backups like 'Cybercar' and 'Cybervehicle.'
Timing is critical, with Tesla producing its first steerless Cybercab at Gigafactory Texas on February 17, 2026, and planning volume production in April 2026 for deliveries before 2027 at under $30,000. The case could proceed to the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board or settle, amid USPTO refusals of similar 'cyber' marks like Cybercamper.
