USPTO Hits Elon Musk’s “GROK” Trademark With Another Wave of Refusals
Elon Musk’s bid to trademark “GROK” for his AI chatbot has hit another wall at the United States Patent and Trademark Office.
On June 17, the USPTO issued a fresh round of refusals to X.AI Corp’s latest trademark filings for “XAI GROK” and the word GROK with a logo.
X.AI’s “GROK” trademark applications refused by the USPTO
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Trademark | Application | Link to USPTO Refusal |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 |  |
98924975 | Refused on 06/17/2025 | ||||
| 5 |  |
98924968 | Refused on 06/17/2025 | ||||
| 6 |  |
98924971 | Refused on 06/17/2025 | ||||
| 10 | GROK | 98236680 | Refused on 05/09/2024 | ||||
| 11 | GROK | 98259466 | Refused on 05/09/2024 | ||||
| 12 | X.AI GROK | 98329246 | Refused on 05/09/2024 |
In total, the USPTO said there are six registered trademarks and 22 pending applications that it believes are too similar to Musk’s marks—making a combined 28 prior filings that stand in the way of registration.
This latest refusal builds on issues the agency raised last year when Musk’s team first attempted to register “GROK.” The original “GROK filings” were refused in 2024 due to conflicts with three existing registrations for “GROCK STREAM,” “GROK HEALTH,” and “GROQ.” At the time, the USPTO also pointed to 16 other pending applications as being a potential bar to registration (if they ultimately registered). Because these applications were still pending, by rule, the USPTO suspended X.AI’s applications (and they still remain suspended).
To sidestep the conflicts, X.AI Corp attempted a common workaround with these latest applications. The company added its “house mark” (X AI) and a logo to the GROK name in an effort to distinguish its trademark from the other similar marks.
But the USPTO wasn’t convinced.
The fact that the USPTO has now cited 28 different trademarks as a bar to registration for the latest “GROK” filings indicates the agency is dug in on this refusal. As any trademark attorney knows, it takes just one confusingly similar prior mark to block registration. In this case, by citing 28 different trademarks, the USPTO has made it look nearly impossible that X.AI Corp will ever be able to get any registration on the “GROK” name.
The 28 trademarks blocking the “GROK” applications
| wdt_ID | wdt_created_by | wdt_created_at | wdt_last_edited_by | wdt_last_edited_at | Trademark | Filing Date | Trademark Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | GROK | 04/15/2011 | Registered | ||||
| 2 | GROKSTYLE | 10/24/2017 | Registered | ||||
| 3 | GROQ | 01/09/2017 | Registered | ||||
| 4 | DATAGROK | 12/20/2019 | Registered | ||||
| 5 | GROQ | 08/03/2018 | Registered | ||||
| 6 | GROK | 07/29/2021 | Pending | ||||
| 7 | GROQHEALTH | 11/18/2022 | Pending | ||||
| 8 | GROK | 05/03/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 9 | GROK AIOPS | 05/17/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 10 | GROKSTREAM | 05/17/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 11 | GROKSTREAM | 05/17/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 12 | GROQ LPU | 06/12/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 13 | GROQ LPU | 6/12/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 14 | GROQ LANGUAGE PROCESSING ACCELERATION | 6/12/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 15 | GROQ LANGUAGE PROCESSING ACCELERATION | 6/12/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 16 | AI.X | 6/14/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 17 | GROQNODE | 10/10/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 18 | GROQCARD | 10/10/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 19 | GROQCHIP | 10/10/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 20 | GROQRACK | 10/10/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 21 | GROKTOOL | 10/30/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 22 | GROQ | 11/16/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 23 | GROQ | 11/16/2023 | Pending | ||||
| 24 | GROKAI | 02/16/2024 | Pending | ||||
| 25 | GROQCLOUD | 05/13/2024 | Pending | ||||
| 26 | GROKKY | 06/10/2024 | Pending | ||||
| 27 | GROKKYAI | 08/08/2024 | Pending | ||||
| 28 |  |
10/17/2024 | Pending |
Of course, X.AI Corp’s attorneys could pull a rabbit out of the hat. But it will take a Herculean legal effort to overcome the gauntlet the USPTO has laid down to block the registration of “GROK.”
For now, X.AI continues to operate its AI chatbot under the “GROK” name without a federal trademark registration. This is entirely permissible under US law, but typically not ideal. The lack of a federal registration prevents Elon from effectively policing and enforcing trademark rights and arguably reduces the value of the company in the eyes of investors.
Josh Gerben, Esq.
Josh Gerben, Esq. is a nationally recognized trademark attorney and the founder of Gerben IP. Since launching the firm in 2008, he has overseen the registration of over 10,000 trademarks and handled over 1,500 trademark disputes. Josh's practice focuses on building and defending global trademark portfolios for clients. These clients include entrepreneurs, private equity-backed businesses, athletes, celebrities, and public companies. Frequently quoted by major media outlets like CNBC, CNN, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal, Josh is widely regarded as a leading authority in trademark law.
Do you need assistance with a trademark matter?
Contact an Attorney Today