Japanese automotive brand Nissan becomes 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.
The new filings cover its Infiniti, Nismo and Nissan brands, according to Nissan’s March 7 trademark applications to the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
#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 a nonfungible token (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 with information 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 March 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 March 8 to June 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.
According to the announcement, customers can order the car and finalize purchase contracts through this virtual sales office.
Nissan also filed five trademark applications in October 2022 for some of its more prominent car models, including the 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 in September 2022, 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, NFTs and the metaverse.
Kondoudis said there were record numbers of trademark applications for NFTs, metaverse and crypto-related products in 2022.
