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Nissan files four new metaverse-related trademarks, offers virtual test drives

Jordan Finneseth

Kitco News

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(Kitco News) - As the financial world deals with the largest banking crisis since the great recession of 2008, businesses continue to work towards integration with Web3 and the metaverse, with Nissan becoming the latest company to file trademark applications for non-fungible token (NFT) and metaverse-related activities.

According to a Twitter post from licensed trademark attorney Michael Kondoudis, the Japanese automotive brand filed four new Web3-related trademarks with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on March 7.

The applications filed relate to the Infiniti, Nismo, and Nissan brands, and they specifically outline plans for the creation of stores for virtual goods and NFTs such as virtual clothes, virtual cars, headgear, trading cards, toys and tickets, as well as the creation of NFT marketplaces that offer trading and minting services.

Nissan’s filings outlined plans to offer metaverse advertising and other “entertainment services,” including online video, images, artwork, audio, sounds, and music. The company also plans to release a website with information about its proposed NFTs and how they will work, and intends to create “non-downloadable computer software for use as a digital wallet.”

Virtual test drives

The day after Nissan filed its trademark applications, its Japan unit announced that it was launching a three-month experiment to allow prospective car buyers to “study, consult, test drive and purchase Nissan vehicles” while in the metaverse.

The project – dubbed Nissan Hype Lab – can be accessed 24 hours a day via a PC or smartphone and provides users with an avatar they can personally design. Nissan staff will be available in the virtual lab between 11:00 am and 8:00 pm local time to provide assistance to visitors and introduce Nissan cars.

Virtual staff are also responsible for booking appointments between sales staff and prospective car buyers, and purchase contracts can be completed through the lab.

The lab offers buyers the ability to take a simulated test drive that offers a 360° view of what it is like to drive in the make and model of their choosing using virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology. The trial of the Nissan Hype Lab will run from March 8 to June 30.

These latest moves from Nissan are not the car manufacturer's first foray into the metaverse. In October, the company filed five trademark applications for some of its more prominent car models, including the Skyline, Z, and GTR, with plans for NFT-backed media, online NFT marketplaces, digital wallets, NFT minting, trading and storing software.

 Fidelity and HSBC are the latest financial firms to seek trademarks in the Metaverse

The Japanese carmaker is also not alone in its efforts to establish a presence in the metaverse as Hyundai Motor Company became the first automaker to issue community-based NFTs last April. Then in May, McLaren Automotive collaborated with MSO LAB to develop unique, limited-edition McLaren NFTs.

In September, American car manufacturer Ford Motor Company filed a total of 19 trademark applications across its major car brands, including Mustang, Bronco, Lincoln, Explorer and F-150 Lightning, among others.

And in December, Mercedes-Benz Group AG filed trademark applications for its Mercedes Benz, Mercedes, S-Class, G-Class, and Maybach brands, with the company claiming that it plans to use the trademarks to develop NFTs, virtual clothing and goods, virtual vehicle parts, financial services, and cryptocurrency trading.

Other notable global brands that filed trademark applications in 2022 include Rolex, Jack Daniels Whiskey, Viacom International, Paramount Pictures, and Formula One racing.

By Jordan Finneseth

For Kitco News

Contact jfinneseth@kitco.com
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