Japanese automotive brand Nissan has become the latest car manufacturer to ramp up its Web3 efforts, filing four new Web3-related trademarks filed in the United States, while its Japan unit is experimenting with auto sales in the metaverse.
According to Nissan’s Mar. 7 trademark applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), the new filings cover its Infiniti, Nismo and Nissan brands.
#NISSAN has filed 4 trademark applications for
▶️ INFINITI
▶️ NISMO
▶️ NISSANThe filings signal plans for
Virtual Clothes + Cars
Stores for Virtual Goods + NFTs
NFT Marketplaces + Trading + Minting
Metaverse Advertising Services#NFT #NFTCommunity #Metaverse #Web3 #Car pic.twitter.com/iG3ZVgyD5t— Mike Kondoudis (@KondoudisLaw) March 13, 2023
The filings to the USPTO reveal Nissan’s plans to create virtual clothes, cars, headgear, trading cards, toys, tickets, and an NFT marketplace for trading and minting NFTs.
The company has also outlined plans for metaverse advertising services and other “entertainment services” covering online video, images, artwork, tickets, audio, sounds, music, and trading cards, along with a website that has information on everything about Nissan’s proposed NFTs and how they will work.
There are also intentions for “non-downloadable computer software for use as a digital wallet,” according to the filing.
Test drive a Nissan in the metaverse
Last week on Mar. 8, Nissan Japan announced it is conducting a three-month “demonstration experiment” of its virtual store “Nissan Hype Lab” to “study, consult, test drive, and purchase Nissan vehicles,” while in the metaverse.
“At the same time we will examine the possibility of new sales methods for cars,” it wrote in a statement.
The trial, which runs from Mar. 8 to Jun. 30, will allow customers to visit the virtual storefront “24 hours a day” via a PC or smartphone. Customers can create their own customized avatars and between certain hours, can even interact with virtual sales staff.
Customers can make an order for the car and finalize purchase contracts through this virtual sales office, according to the announcement.
Nissan also previously filed five trademark applications in October 2022 for some of its more prominent car models, including SKYLINE, Z, and GTR.
At the time, trademark attorney Mike Kondoudis said the car brand’s filings signaled plans for NFT-backed media, online NFT marketplaces, digital wallets, NFT minting, trading and storing software.
Related: Keep an eye out for major company NFT trademark filings this year
Automotive giant General Motors has also been very active with NFT-related filings, with its latest trademark applications on Feb. 16 covering its Chevrolet and Cadillac brands.
American car manufacturer Ford Motor Company, prepped its entry into the world of NFTs and the Metaverse last September, filing 19 trademark applications across its major car brands.
Despite the ongoing crypto winter and bear market, multinational corporations are still pushing forward with trademark applications covering Web3, crypto, nonfungible tokens (NFTs), and the Metaverse.
Kondoudis said that there were record numbers of trademark applications for NFTs, Metaverse and crypto-related products in 2022.
