Google sues Bard over alleged misappropriation of Bard’s brand identity

Google is suing Microsoft over the intent to file a trademark application for "Microsoft Bard" with the US Patent and Trademark Office.<br><br>Earlier this month, Google announced the name of its generative AI service, Bard. Not long after the customer service AI was announced, Microsoft began the process of acquiring the trademark rights for "Microsoft Bard" with the US Patent and Trademark Office. <br><br>The Texas court filing contends that the name could be confused for Bard, which is the name of Google’s generative AI service.<br><br>“Microsoft is misappropriating a valuable brand identity that Google worked hard to build and protect. Microsoft’s misappropriation threatens to deceive and confuse consumers, dilute Google’s brand, and harm its business,” Google said in a filing in a Texas federal court.<br><br>A spokesperson for Microsoft said on Monday that the USPTO has the duty to allow trademarks for the names and logos that they deem do not infringe on existing marks.<br><br>“Accordingly, we do not believe that ‘Microsoft Bard’ infringes on Google’s registered marks,” the Microsoft representative said.<br><br>Google filed the lawsuit in the US District Court for the Southern District of Texas Houston Division.